Ulltp  i.  1.  Bill  lOibrarg 

North  (Carolina  ^tate  limtiprattij 


QK484 

G4 

K3 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  DATE 
INDICATED  BELOW  AND  IS  SUB- 
JECT TO  AN  OVERDUE  FINE  AS 
POSTED  AT  THE  CIRCULATION 
DESK. 


COMMON 


Forest  Trees 


OF 


GEORGIA 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THEM 


Georgia  State  College  of  Agriculture 

ANDREW  M.  SOULE,  President 

DIVISION    OF    EXTENSION 

J.  PHIL  CAMPBELL,  Director 


-operation  with  the  Forest  Service,  U.  S.  Dcpt.  of  Auriculturc 

Xh,  No.  7  December,  1923  Bulletin  20 1 


shed  and  distributed  in  furtherance  of  the  purposes  provided 
for  in  the  Act  of  Congress  of  May  3,   1914 


l^f^^il^JS-^ 


''''•^iimi'iiti^  aawfSIr 


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^ortl]  (Earolma  ^tale 


Contents 


raRc 

Ash.    White    70 

Ash-leaf    Maple    70 

r.asswood    72 

l'.«ech     30 

r.inh,    Black    or    S\Aeet    27 

Itlver   or    Red    . 

niaik   Walnut  

Box    Ekler    

Catalpa  _ 

Cedar,   Red  

White    


.  2ti 
.  17 

-  70 

-  SO 

-  I-'. 

-  14 

Cherry,    Black    02 

Cliestuut ol 

Chinquapin    32 

Cottonwood     2"> 

Cottonwood,  Swamp 24 

Cucumber  Tree  oo 


Mountain  .Alagiiolia   54 

Maple,  Asli-leaf 7(i 

Red    6S 

Silver    ()!• 

Whitebark   07 

Mulberry.  Red T,-2 


Oak, 


5S028 


Basket  or  Cow 37 

Black    41 

Black-jack    41 

Chestnut   30 

Laurel    47 

Live    3^ 

Nortliern    Red    40 

Overcup  35 

Post    34 

Red   ;'.!i-4() 

Scarlet   42 

Southern    Red    3'.> 

vamp  Chestnut 37 


This  BOOK  may  be  kept  out  TWO  WEEKS 
ONLY,  and  is  subject  to  a  fine  of  FIVE 
CENTS  a  day  thereafter.  It  is  due  on  the 
day  indicated  below: 


urkey 
ater  . 
bite  . 
illow 


lOeM2l 


juon    77 

lOblolly  5 

onffleaf    0 

bnd !> 

crub  10 

iortleaf 4 

lash   7 

pi-uce  10-11 

Irginia    10 

Carolina    2." 

Yellow    r,n 

r.<; 

as   ."i7 

■berry    (io 

od    71 

Cottonwood    24 

Gum   .")S 

re  51+ 

'ree r>7 

Gum 7C. 

,  Black 17 

Black   2.'. 

Poplar r>7 


COMMON 

FOREST  TREES 

-OF- 

GEORGIA 

HOW  TO  KNOW  THEM  . 


A  Pocket  Manual 

Prepared  by 

W.  R.  MATTOON,  Forest  Examiner 

Forest  Service,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 

-^and — 

THOS.  D.  BURLEIGH,  Associate  Professor 

Division  of  Forestry 

Georgia  State  College  of  Agriculture 


ti 


ATHENS,  GA. 
1923 


FOREWORD 

This  handbook  has  been  prepared  in  response  to  a 
growing  demand  for  information  regarding  our  com- 
mon forest  trees.  These  requests  are  largely  the 
result  of  a  widening  appreciation  that  timber  is  a 
marketable  commodity  of  increasing  value,  and  that 
by  rightly  handling  young  timber  it  quickly  grows 
into  a  merchantable  product  that  will  add  yearly  to 
the  farm  income  as  well  as  enhance  the  value  of  the 
farm,  both  as  a  salable  property  and  as  a  comfort- 
able and  attractive  home. 

Georgia  has  a  great  variety  of  trees  producing 
useful  and  valuable  wood.  Timber  is  the  best  crop 
to  grow  on  certain  soils  and  locations  on  the  farm. 
Many  farms  have,  for  example,  some  hillsides,  or 
worn-out  gullied  sandy  or  wet  lands  better  adapted 
for  growing  timber  than  any  other  crop.  To  rightly 
utilize  all  the  farm  is  a  sign  of  good  farm  manage- 
ment. 

It  is  natural  for  young  people  to  be  interested  in 
trees.  Many  will  become  farm  owners  of  the  future, 
and  a  knowledge  of  the  trees  will  add  an  interest  in 
their  lives  and  prove  to  be  a  very  material  asset. 
The  County  Agents,  dealing  as  they  do  with  both 
the  present  and  future  owners  of  timberland,  will  be 
aided  by  this  manual  in  acquiring  a  better  knowledge 
of  the  uses  and  value  of  our  common  forest  trees. 
Altogether  78  trees  are  described,  all  of  which  are 
native  to  the  State. 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  hereby  made  to  the 
State  Foresters  of  Maryland,  Virginia,  Tennessee, 
and  North  Carolina  for  the  use  of  portions  of  the 
text  and  for  the  loan  of  many  of  the  cuts  of  the 
hardwoods,  all  of  which  are  from  original  drawings 
by  Mrs.  A.  E.  Hoyle  of  the  United  States  Forest  Ser- 
vice, and  to  Houghton-Mifflin  Company  for  permis- 
sion to  use  cuts  of  conifers  from  Sargent's  "Manual 
of  the  Trees  of  North  America." 

The  rapidly  increasing  interest  in  outdoor  life, 
stimulated  perhaps  by  good  roads,  the  automobile, 
the  boys'  club  and  scout  movements,  and  the  widened 
outlook  resulting  from  the  spread  of  education,  en- 
courages the  rational  treatment  of  our  trees  and  for- 
ests. It  is  highly  important  that  this  be  done  in 
order  that  our  forests  may  continue  to  furnish  the 
material  so  essential  to  the  maintenance  of  the  in- 
dustrial and  social  life  of  the  State  and  Nation,  to 
protect  our  farmsteads  and  mountain  streams,  and 
to  provide  places  of  pleasure  and  recreation  for  our 
people. 


WHITE  PINE 

{Pinus  strohus  L.) 
"THE  white  pine  occurs  naturally  throughout  the 
mountains  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State. 
It  grows  on  high,  dry,  sandy  and  rocky  ridges,  but 
prefers  the  cooler  or  moister  situations.  Its  straight 
stem,  regular  pyramidal  shape  and  soft  gray-green 
foliage  make  it  universally  appreciated  as  an  orna- 
mental tree.     Its  rapid  growth  and  hardiness,  and 


WHITE    PINE 
One-third  natural  size. 

the  high  quality  of  the  wood  make  it  one  of  the  most 
desirable  trees  for  forest  planting. 

The  trunk  is  straight,  and,  when  growing  in  the 
forest,  clear  of  branches  for  many  feet.  The 
branches  extend  horizontally  in  whorls  (i.  e.,  ar- 
ranged in  a  circle  on  the  stem),  marking  the  suc- 
cessive years  of  upward  growth.  The  bark  is  thin 
and  greenish,  red  on  young  trees,  but  thick,  deeply 
furrowed  and  grayish  brown  on  older  trees.  The  tree 
commonly  attains  heights  of  50  to  60  feet  and  diam- 
eters of  1  to  2  feet,  though  much  larger  specimens 
are  still  to  be  found. 

The  leaves,  or  needles,  are  3  to  5  inches  in  length, 
bluish  green  on  the  upper  surface  and  whitish  be- 
neath, and  occur  in  bundles  of  5,  which  distinguishes 
it  from  all  other  eastern  pines.  The  cone,  or  fruit, 
is  4  to  6  inches  long,  cylindrical,  with  thin,  usually 
very  gummy  scales,  containing  small,  winged  seeds 
which  require  two  years  to  mature. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  light  brown  in 
color,  often  tinged  with  red,  and  easily  worked.  The 
lumber  is  in  large  demand  for  construction  pur- 
poses, box  boards,  matches  and  many  ^f^^Jj^^ts. 


5>1?^<J5^- 


^> 


SHORTLEAF  PINE  (Yellow  Pine) 

{Pinus  echmata  Mill.) 

TTHE  shortleaf  pine,  also  known  as  yellow  pine, 
rosemary  pine,  and  old-field  pine,  is  widely  dis- 
tributed throiigliout  the  South.  In  Georgia,  it  is  the 
characteristic  pine  over  the  Piedmont  and  the  south- 
facing  slopes,  where  it  occurs  mixed  with  hardwoods 
and  in  pure  second-growth  stands.  The  young  tree 
in  the  open  has  a  straight  and  somewhat  stout  stem 


SHORTLEAF  PINE 
One-half   natural    size. 


with  slightly  ascending  branches.  In  maturity  the 
tree  has  a  tall,  straight  stem  and  an  oval  crown, 
reaching  a  height  of  about  100  feet  and  a  diameter 
of  about  41/2  feet.  The  young  tree,  when  cut  or 
burned  back,  reproduces  itself  by  sprouting  from  the 
stump. 

The  leaves  are  in  clusters  of  two  or  three,  from 
3  to  5  inches  long,  slender,  flexible,  and  dark  blue- 
green.  The  cones,  or  burrs,  are  the  smallest  of  all 
our  pines,  II/2  to  2iA  inches  long,  oblong,  with  small 
sharp  prickles,  generally  clustered,  and  often  hold- 
ing to  the  twigs  for  3  or  4  years.  The  small  seeds  are 
mottled  and  have  a  wing,  which  is  broadest  near 
the  center.  The  bark  is  brownish  red,  broken  into 
rectangular  plates ;  it  is  thinner  and  lighter-colored 
than  that  of  loblolly  pine.  This  is  most  readily  iden- 
tified by  its  leaves  and  cones. 

The  wood  of  old  trees  is  rather  heavy  and  hard, 
of  yellow-brown  or  orange  color,  fine-grained  and 
less  resinous  than  that  of  the  other  important  south- 
ern pines.  It  is  used  largely  for  interior  and  ex- 
terior finishing,  general  construction,  veneers,  paper 
pulp,  excelsior,  cooperage,  mine  props,  and  other 
purposes. 


LOBLOLLY  PINE 

{Pinus  taeda  L.) 

A  fast-growing  member  of  the  yellow  pine  group, 
■^  loblolly  pine  is  a  tree  of  the  Coastal  Plain, 
ranging  southward  in  the  United  States  from  Del- 
aware to  Texas.  It  is  variously  known  locally  as 
shortleaf  pine,  fox-tail  pine  and  old-field  pine. 
As  the  last  name  implies,  it  seeds  up  abandoned 
fields  rapidly,  particularly  in  sandy  soils  where  the 


4 


p^y< 


# 


LOBLOLLY  PINB 

Oue-lialf  natural  size. 

water  is  close  to  the  surface.  It  is  also  frequent  in 
elumps  along  the  borders  of  swamps  and  as  scat- 
tered specimens  in  the  swamp  hardwood  forests. 
In  Georgia,  it  is  found  in  largest  amounts  over  the 
lower  Piedmont  and  upper  Coastal  Plain. 

The  bark  is  dark  in  color  and  deeply  furrowed, 
and  often  attains  a  thickness  of  as  much  as  2  inches 
on  large-sized  trees.  The  leaves,  or  needles,  6  to  9 
inches  long,  are  borne  three  in  a  cluster,  and,  in  the 
spring,  bright  green  clumps  of  them  at  the  ends  of 
branches  give  a  luxuriant  appearance  to  the  tree. 
The  fruit  is  a  cone,  or  burr,  about  3  to  5  inches 
long,  which  ripens  in  the  autumn  of  the  second  year, 
and,  during  fall  and  early  winter,  sheds  many  seeds 
which,  by  their  inch-long  wings,  are  widely  dis- 
tributed by  the  Avind. 

The  resinous  wood  is  coarse-grained,  with  marked 
contrast,  as  in  the  other  yellow  pines,  between  the 
bands  of  early  and  late  wood.  The  wood  of  second- 
growth  trees  has  a  wide  range  of  uses  where  dura- 
bility is  not  a  requisite,  such  as  for  building  ma- 
terial, box  shooks,  barrel  staves,  basket  veneers, 
pulpwood,  lath,  mine  props,  piling  and  fuel. 


^>-^^<?:|>-^  ^>-^^< 


LONGLEAF  PINE 

{Pinus  palmiris  Mill.) 
HTHE  young  longleaf  pine  forms  one  of  the  most 
striking  features  of  the  southern  forest.  When 
5  to  10  years  of  age,  the  single  upright  stem  with 
its  long,  dark,  shiny  leaves,  forms  a  handsome  plume 
of  sparkling  green,  while  in  later  youth  the  stalwart, 
sparingly  branched  sapling,  with  its  heavy  twigs 
and  gray  bark,  attracts  immediate  attention.     The 


^^x,. 


'\^^i 


LONGLEAF  PINE 
One-half  natural  size. 

older  trees  have  tall,  straight  trunks,  1  to  3  feet  in 
diameter  and  open,  irregular  crowns,  one-third  to 
one-half  the  length  of  the  tree. 

Longleaf  pine  is  confined  to  the  Coastal  Plain 
region.  It  has  been  extensively  logged,  bled  for  tu- 
pentine,  repeatedly  burned  and  ranged  over  by  na- 
tive "razor-back"  hogs  until  in  many  sections  it  has 
been  almost  exterminated  or  replaced  by  other  pines. 

The  leaves  are  from  10  to  15  inches  long,  in  clus- 
ters of  3,  and  gathered  toward  the  ends  of  the  thick, 
scaly  twigs.  The  flowers,  appearing  in  early  spring 
before  the  new  leaves,  are  a  deep  rose-purple,  the 
male  in  prominent,  short,  dense  clusters  and  the 
female  in  inconspicuous  groups  of  2  to  4. 

The  cones,  or  burrs,  are  6  to  10  inches  long, 
slightly  curved,  the  thick  scales  armed  with  small 
curved  prickles.  The  cones  usually  fall  soon  after 
the  seeds  ripen,  leaving  their  bases  attached  to  the 
twigs. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  tough  and  dura- 
ble. As  Georgia  pine,  pitch  pine  and  southern  pine, 
it  has  been,  and  still  is,  used  for  all  kinds  of  build- 
ing and  other  construction.  Naval  stores,  consist- 
ing of  tar,  pitch,  rosin  and  turpentine,  are  obtained 
almost  exclusively  from  this  tree  and  its  close  rela- 
tive, the  slash  pine,  by  bleeding  the  trees  for  their 
raw  gum. 

6 


SLASH  PINE  (Yellow  Slash,  Cuban  Pine) 

(Pinus  carihaea  Morelet.) 
CLASH  pine  is  a  tree  of  the  lower  Coastal  Plain. 
Because  of  its  abundant  seed  production  and 
rapid  growth,  it  has  naturally  replaced  longleaf  pine 
over  large  areas.  Second-growth  stands  are,  how- 
ever, either  very  young  or  scattered  for  the  reason 
that' slash  pine' produces  crude  gum  in  such  large 
amounts  and  at  such  early  ages  that  it  has  been  for 


SLASH  PINE 
One-half  natural  size. 

the  past  30  years  heavily  worked  for  turpentine  in 
all  sizes  down  to  saplings.  Large  amounts  of  timber 
have  thus  been  killed  by  being  overworked  with  too 
many  or  too  large  faces.  Because  of  its  rapid 
growth,  easy  propagation  and  early  yield  of  timber 
and  crude  turpentine,  slash  pine  promises  excellent 
returns  when  planted  and  grown  as  a  crop.  Experi- 
ments have  shown  that  slash  pine  is  capable  of  grow- 
ing in  clay  soils  at  least  100  miles  north,  or  above 
its  natural  range. 

The  trunk  is  straight,  clears  itself  easily  of 
branches,  and  is  crowned  with  numerous  small 
branches  forming  a  round-topped  head. 

The  leaves  which  occur  in  clusters  of  2  or,  more 
often,  3  in  a  sheath  are  from  8  to  12  inches  long, 
dark  green,  shiny,  and  thickly-set  on  the  branches, 
forming  a  dense  head. 

The  cones  are  mostly  3  to  6  inches  long,  brown, 
and  glossy  or  varnished,  and  the  thin  scales  are 
armed  with  fine  prickles.  Slash  may  best  be  dis- 
tinguished from  all  other  pines  by  these  character- 
istics of  its  leaves  and  cones. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  tough,  durable 
and  very  resinous.  It  is  sawed  into  lumber  and  sold 
without  discrimination  as  longleaf  pine,  being  used 
for  general  building  and  heavy  construction  pur- 
poses for  which  it  brings  good  prices. 

7 


PITCH  PINE 

{Pinus  rigida  Mill.) 

THE  pitch  pine  grows  on  dry  ridges  and  slopes 
and  in  cold  swamps  and  bottoms  in  the  moun- 
tains and  outlying  hilly  regions.    It  occurs  scattered, 
or  in  small  groups  with  hardwoods  or  other  pines. 

It  attains  a  height  commonly  50  to  75  feet  and 
a  diameter  of  1  to  2  feet.     The  trunk  is  erect,  and 


One-half  natural  size. 


at  heights  of  20  to  30  feet  branches  into  a  close 
head  made  up  of  rather  large  branches  and  notice- 
ably thick  foliage.  It  has  longer  leaves  and  larger 
cones,  or  burrs,  and  generally  a  rougher  and  les3 
straight  trunk  than  the  shortleaf  pine  with  which 
it  is  often  found. 

The  leaves,  which  are  found  in  clusters  of  3  each, 
are  3  to  5  inches  long,  stiff,  dark  yellowish  green  in 
color  and  stand  out  straight  from  the  twigs.  They 
fall  during  the  second  year  after  forming.  The  cones 
are  1  to  3  inches  long  and  light  brown  in  color.  They 
usually  cling  to  the  branches  for  several  years, 
sometimes  for  10  to  12  years.  The  bark  on  the  stems 
and  branches  is  rough.  On  mature  trees  it  is  dark 
gray  or  reddish  brown,  and  irregularly  divided  into 
broad,  flat,  continuous  ridges. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft  and  brittle.  It  is  sawed 
into  lumber  for  general  construction  and  is  used 
for  fuel.  This  tree  is  able  to  grow  on  very  poor  soil 
and  has  the  capacity,  when  young,  of  sprouting  suc- 
cessfully from  the  base  of  the  stump  when  burned 
or  cut  back. 

8 


T 


POND  PINE 

(Pinus  serotina  Michx.) 

HE  pond  pine,  also  known  as  pocosin  pine,  bay 
pine  or  black-bark  pine,  is  found  in  small  SAvamps 
and  on  flat,  undrained,  poor,  sandy,  or  low,  peaty 
soils  of  the  Coastal  Plain.  It  averages  40  to  70  feet 
in  height  and  1  to  2  feet  in  diameter.  The  trunk 
is  often  slightly  crooked  and  somewhat  rough  with 
knots  or  bulges.    The  tree  somewhat  resembles  lob- 


if^ 


POND  PINE 
•One-half  natural  size. 

lolly  pine,  but  can  be  distinguished  most  easily  by 
the  broader  and  shorter  cones,  and  its  location  gen- 
erally on  wet  or  very  sour  lands. 

The  leaves  occur  in  clusters  of  3,  or  occasionally 
4,  and  range  in  length  from  5  to  8  inches.  They 
persist  on  the  branches  for  3  to  4  years.  The  cones 
or  burrs,  when  open  are  noticeably  globular  in  out- 
line, somewhat  flattened,  2  to  2V2  inches  long.  Like 
all  pines,  they  require  two  seasons  for  ripening,  but 
remain  closed  for  1  to  2  years  afterward,  and  per- 
sist on  the  branches  for  several  years. 

The  bark  is  dark  red-brown  and  irregularly  di- 
vided by  shallow  furrows. 

The  wood  is  resinous,  heavy,  often  coarse-grained, 
orange-colored,  with  pale  yellowish,  wide  sapwood. 
It  is  sawed  and  sold  without  discrimination  along 
with  lumber  of  other  southern  pines.  In  the  earlier 
days  of  lumbering  this  pine  was  not  much  used  for 
lumber.  It  is  one  of  the  few  species  of  pine  which, 
following  cutting  or  killing-back  by  fire,  sprouts 
from  the  stumps  of  young  vigorous  saplings. 


SCRUB  PINE  (Spruce  Pine  or  Virginia  Pine) 

{Pinus  Virginia na  Mill.) 

'TTIIE'  scrub,  spruce,  black  or  Virginia  pine,  is 
found  chiefly  in  the  mountains  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State.  It  occurs  in  pure  stands  in  old 
fields  and  is  very  persistent  in  gullying,  broken  and 
very  dry  soils.  It  is  one  of  our  slower-growing 
pines.  The  side  branches  usuall}'-  persist  for  many 
years,  even  after  dying,  thus  giving  a  scrubby  ap- 


SCRUB  PINE 
One-half  natural  size. 


pearance  to  the  tree  which  is  responsible  for  one  of 
its  common  names. 

The  twisted  and  spreading  leaves  are  borne  two 
in  a  cluster.  They  vary  from  l^/^  to  3  inches  in 
length,  are  grayish  green  in  color,  and  are  shorter 
than  those  of  any  other  pine  native  to  the  State.  The 
fruit  is  a  cone,  or  burr,  averaging  about  2  inches  in 
length,  narrow,  and  often  slightly  curved,  with  small 
prickles.  Cones  are  produced  almost  every  year, 
and,  as  they  persist  on  the  branches  from  3  to  5 
years,  a  tree  top  with  many  dry,  open  cones  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  species.  The  bark  is  thin,  reddish 
brown,  and  broken  into  shallow  plates.  Even  with 
age,  the  fissures  in  the  bark  are  so  shallow  as  to 
give  a  somewhat  smooth  appearance  to  the  trunk  of 
the  tree. 

Except  in  the  occasional  large-sized  trees,  the 
wood  is  very  knotty  because  of  the  persistence  of 
the  side  branches.  It  is  light  and  soft,  but  fairly  dur- 
able in  contact  with  the  soil,  so  that  it  is  being  used 
to  some  extent  for  posts,  poles  and  piling.  The  lum- 
ber is  increasingly  used  for  rough  construction,  but 
it  warps  easily  with  alternate  wetting  and  drying. 
It  is  much  used  for  paper  pulp  and  firewood. 

10 


SPRUCE  PINE  (Cedar  Pine) 

{Pinus  glabra  Walt.) 
THE  bottoms  and  river  swamps  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State  are  characterized  by  the  pres- 
ence of  this  pine  which  may  be  easily  recognized  by 
its  dark  almost  smootli  bark  unlike  that  of  any  other 
kind  of  tree  found  within  its  range.  It  is  nowhere 
abundant,  but  is  scattered  among  the  hardwoods 
that  predominate  in  such  places.     It  is  a  large  tree 


SPRUCE  PINE 
Two-thirds   natural    Bize. 

for  it  reaches  a  height  of  80  to  120  feet  and  a  diam- 
eter of  2  to  over  3  feet.  It  has  comparatively  small 
horizontal  branches  which  form  a  narrow  open 
crown.  This  pine  resembles  considerably  the  true 
white  pine  of  the  mountains  for  which  it  is  not  un- 
commonly mistaken. 

The  leaves  occur  in  clusters  of  two  and  arc  soft, 
slender,  dark  green  and  mostly  from  2  to  3  inches 
long.  They  fall  at  the  end  of  their  second  year.  The 
cones  are  single  or  in  clusters  of  2  or  3  on  short  stout 
stalks.  They  are  Vo  to  2  inches  long,  reddish  brown 
in  color  and  rather  lustrous,  with  thin  scales  armed 
with  small  weak  prickles.  They  soon  open  and  shed 
their  seeds  but  remain  on  the  tree  for  several  years. 
The  bark  on  young  trees  and  on  the  upper  part  of 
the  trunks  is  smooth  pale  gray,  becoming  noticeably 
dark  on  the  lower  part  of  the  older  trees,  and  slightly 
and  irregularly  divided  by  shallow  fissures  into  tiat 
connected  ridges. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  brittle,  close-grained,  and 
not  very  strong.  When  sawed  into  lumber,  the  wood 
warps  easily.  It  is  rarely  used  for  any  purpose 
except  firewood,  but  is  well  adapted  for  use  in 
making  paper  pulp.  With  the  growing  scarcity  of 
timber  and  closer  utilization  of  our  forest  trees,  this 
pine  will  likely  be  of  more  value  in  the  future  be- 
cause of  its  large  size  and  easy  accessibility. 

11 


HEMLOCK 

{Tsuga  canadensis  Carr.) 
TTHE  hemlock,  sometimes  known  as  hemlock- 
spruce  or  spruce-pine,  is  a  large  timber  tree, 
attaining  a  height  of  60  to  100  feet  and  a  diameter 
of  2  to  4  feet.  It  is  common  along  streams  and  on 
cool  slopes  throughout  the  mountains.  Its  horizontal 
or  ascending  branches  and  drooping  twigs,  forming 


One-half  natural  size. 


a  pyramidal  crown,  make  it  one  of  our  handsomest 
and  most  desirable  trees  for  shade  and  ornament. 

The  leaves  are  from  one-third  to  two-thirds  of  an 
inch  in  length,  oblong,  dark  green  and  lustrous  on 
the  upper  surface  and  whitish  beneath,  and,  although 
spirally  arranged,  appear  to  be  2-ranked  on  the 
stem ;  they  fall  during  the  third  season.  The  cones 
are  oblong,  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long,  light 
brown  in  color.  The  cone  scales  are  broadly  ovate 
and  about  as  wide  as  they  are  long.  The  seed  is 
small  and  winged,  maturing  in  the  fall  and  dropping 
during  the  winter. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  brittle  and 
splintery.  It  is  used  for  coarse  lumber  and  for  paper 
pulp.  The  bark  on  old  trunks  is  cinnamon-red  or 
dark  gray  and  divided  into  narrow,  rounded  ridges, 
and  is  one  of  our  chief  sources  of  tannin. 


The  Carolina  hemlock  (  Tsuga  caroUniana  Eu- 
gelm.)  differs  from  the  above  by  having  its  leaves 
not  conspicuously  2-ranked  on  the  twigs  but  point- 
ing in  all  directions,  giving  the  tree  a  rough  appear- 
ance ;  while  the  cone  scales  are  narrow  oval,  muck 
longer  than  they  are  wide.  It  grows  on  dry,  roekj 
ridges  and  cliffs  along  the  Blue  Ridge.  It  is  a  very 
desirable  tree  for  ornamental  planting. 

12 


CYPRESS 

{Taxodiiim  disHchum  Rich.) 

TTIIE  cypress,  or  bald  cypress,  is  a  tree  found 
exclusively  in  deep  swamps  which  are  usually 
flooded  for  long  periods  at  a  time,  and  on  wet  stream 
banks  and  bottomlands  in  the  lower  Atlantic  Coastal 
Plain  and  westward.  Its  straight  trunk  with  numer- 
ous ascending  branches,  and  narrow  conical  outline 
makes  the  tree  one  of  considerable  beauty.     In  old 


CYPRESS 
One-balf  natural   size. 

age,  the  tree  generally  has  a  broad  fluted  or  but- 
tressed base,  a  smooth  slowly  tapering  trunk  and  a 
broad,  open,  flat  top  of  a  few  heavy  branches  and 
numerous  small  branchlets.  The  original-growth 
timber  attained  heights  of  80  to  130  feet  and  diam- 
eters of  5  to  10  feet. 

The  bark  is  silvery  to  cinnamon-red  and  finely 
divided  by  numerous  longitudinal  fissures.  The 
leaves  are  about  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
in  length,  arranged  in  feather-like  fashion  along  two 
sides  of  small  branchlets,  which  fall  in  the  autumn 
with  the  leaves  still  attached ;  or  they  are  scale-like 
and  much  shorter,  light  green,  and  sometimes  silvery 
below. 

The  fruit  is  a  rounded  cone,  or  "ball,"  about  one 
inch  in  diameter,  consisting  of  thick  irregular  scales. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  easily  worked,  varies  in 
color  from  a  light  sapwood  to  dark-brown  heart- 
wood,  and  is  particularly  durable  in  contact  with 
the  soil.  Hence  it  is  in  demand  for  exterior  trim 
of  buildings,  greenhouse  planking,  boat  and  ship 
building,  shingles,  posts,  poles  and  crossties. 

13 


'f^<i^^^  -js>  -#^<K?^^  -e>  -#^<js^..^  -e>  -#^<??^^  -e> 

WHITE  CEDAR  (Juniper) 

{Chamaecyparis  thyo-ides  B.  S.  P.) 

EXCLUSIVELY  a  tree  of  the  Coastal  Plain,  it  is 
found  in  year-round  SAvamps  from  New  England 
southward  to  Florida  and  Mississippi.  It  occurs 
with  bald  cypress  and  deep  swamp  hardwoods,  but 
more  often  is  found  in  pure  stands  called  "glades," 
where  the  smooth,  clean  trunks  are  so  closely  set  as 
to   give   the   impression   of   "serried   ranks."     The 


WHITE   CEDAR 
One-half  natural  size. 

branches  are  very  short  and  horizontal,  so  that  even 
when  grown  in  the  open  the  tree  has  a  long,  narrow, 
conical  shape. 

The  leaves  are  minute,  scale-like,  overlapping,  4- 
ranked,  of  a  bluish  green  color,  and  entirely  cover 
the  ends  of  the  slender,  drooping  twigs.  The  fruit 
is  a  rather  inconspicuous,  smooth  cone,  nearly 
round,  about  one-fourth  inch  in  diameter,  maturing 
in  one  year  and  containing  from  four  to  eight 
winged  seeds. 

The  bark  is  quite  thin,  varies  in  color  from  ashy 
gray  to  light  reddish  brown,  and  readily  separates 
into  loose  plate-like  scales,  which  easily  peel  off  in 
long  fibrous  strips.  The  wood  is  light,  soft,  close- 
grained,  slightly  fragrant,  especially  in  contact  with 
water.  These  qualities  make  it  in  demand  for  boat 
and  canoe  building,  cooperage,  shingles  and  fence 
posts.  It  is  being  substituted  for  chestnut  for  tele- 
phone poles,  as  the  supply  of  the  latter  species  be- 
comes scarcer.  Because  of  the  limited  supply  avail- 
able, its  lumber  is  not  well  known  in  the  general 
markets. 

14 


<i^^- 


RED  CEDAR 

{Junipcrus  virginiana  L.) 

A  V1{;RY  valuable  tree  found  in  all  classes  ami 
conditions  of  soils — from  swamp  to  dry  rocky 
ridges — seeming  to  thrive  on  barren  soils  where  few 
other  trees  are  found.  It  is  scattered  throughout 
the  State  except  in  the  high  mountains. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  leaves,  usually  both  kinds 
being  found  on  the  same  tree.     The  commoner  kind 


RED    CEDAR 
One-half  natural  size. 

is  dark  green,  minute  and  scale-like,  clasping  the 
stem  in  four  ranks,  so  that  the  stems  appear  square. 
The  other  kind,  usually  appearing  on  young  growth 
or  vigorous  shoots,  is  awl-shaped,  quite  sharp- 
pointed,  spreading  and  Avhitened. 

The  two  kinds  of  flowers  are  at  the  end  of  minute 
twigs  on  separate  trees.  Blooming  in  February  or 
March,  the  male  trees  often  assume  a  golden  color 
from  the  small  catkins,  which,  when  shaken,  shed 
clouds  of  yellow  pollen.  The  fruit,  which  matures 
in  one  season,  is  pale  blue,  often  with  a  white  bloom, 
one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  berry-like,  enclos- 
ing one  or  two  seeds  in  the  sweet  flesh.  It  is  a 
favorite  winter  food  for  birds. 

The  bark  is  very  thin,  reddish  brown,  peeling  off 
in  long,  shred-like  strips.  The  tree  is  extremely 
irregular  in  its  growth,  so  that  the  trunk  is  usually 
more  or  less  grooved. 

The  heart  wood  is  distinctly  red,  and  the  sapwood 
white,  this  color  combination  making  very  striking 
effects  when  finished  as  cedar  chests,  closets  and 
interior  woodwork.  The  wood  is  aromatic,  soft, 
strong  and  of  even  texture,  and  these  qualities  make 
it  most  desirable  for  lead  pencils.  It  is  very  dura- 
ble in  contact  with  the  soil,  and  on  that  account  is  in 
great  demand  for  posts,  poles  and  rustic  work. 

15 


-e>  -^^^5^.^  ~-e> 


WHITE  WALNUT,  OR  BUTTERNUT 

{Juglans  cinerea  L.) 
TTHE  white  walnut,  usually  called  butternut  in 
the  North,  is  a  smaller  tree  than  the  black  wal- 
nut, though  it  reaches  a  height  of  70  feet  and  a  diam- 
eter of  3  feet.  It  is  found  naturally  only  in  the 
mountains,  where  it  is  a  common  tree.  The  trunk  is 
usually  forked  or  crooked,  and  this  makes  it  less 
desirable  for  saw  timber.  The  bark  differs  from  that 


WHITE  WALNUT,  OR  BUTTDRNUT 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 

of  the  black  walnut  in  being  light  gray  on  branches 
and  on  the  trunk  of  small  trees,  becoming  darker  on 
large  trees.  This  tree  may  also  be  distinguished 
from  black  walnut  by  the  velvet  collars  just  above 
the  scars  left  by  last  year's  leaves. 

The  compound  leaves  are  15  to  30  inches  long, 
each  with  11  to  17  sharp-pointed,  oblong,  finely 
toothed  leaflets  2  to  3  inches  long. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree, 
the  male  in  long  yellow-green  drooping  catkins, 
the  female  recognized  by  the  rather  conspicuous 
red-fringed  stigmas.  The  fruit  is  a  nut  enclosed  in 
an  oblong,  somewhat  pointed,  yellowish  green  husk, 
about  2  inches  long,  which  is  covered  with  short 
rusty,  clammy,  sticky  hairs.  The  nut  has  a  rough, 
grooved  shell  and  an  oily,  edible  kernel. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  coarse-grained, 
light  brown,  and  takes  a  good  polish.  It  is  used  for 
interior  finish  of  houses  and  for  furniture.  A  yellow 
or  orange  dye  can  be  made  from  the  husks  of  the 
nuts. 

16 


^- 


BLACK  WALNUT 

[Junglans  nigra  L.) 

THIS  valuable  forest  tree  occurs  on  rich  bottom- 
lands and  moist  fertile  hillsides,  chieflly  in  tlie 
northern  and  middle  parts  of  the  State.  In  the 
forest,  where  it  grows  singly,  it  frequently  attains 
a  height  of  100  feet  with  a  straight  stem,  clear  of 
branches  for  half  its  height.  In  open-grown  trees 
the  stem  is  short  and  the  crown  broad  and  spreading. 


BLACK  WALiNUT 

Leaf,  one-fifth  natural  size. 

Twig,  three-quarters  natural   size. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  compound,  1  to  2  feet 
long,  consisting  of  from  15  to  23  leaflets  of  a  yel- 
lowish green  color.  The  leaflets  are  about  3  inches 
long,  extremely  tapering  at  the  end,  and  toothed 
along  the  margin.  The  bark  is  thick,  dark  brown 
in  color,  and  divided  by  rather  deep  fissures  into 
rounded  ridges. 

The  fruit  is  a  nut,  borne  singly  or  in  pairs,  and 
enclosed  in  a  solid  green  husk  which  does  not  split 
open,  even  after  the  nut  is  ripe.  The  nut  itself  is 
black  with  a  very  hard,  thick,  finely  ridged  shell, 
enclosing  a  rich,  oily  kernel  edible  and  highly  nu- 
tritious. 

The  heartwood  is  of  superior  quality  and  value. 
It  is  heavy,  hard  and  strong,  and  its  rich  chocolate- 
brown  color,  freedom  from  warping  and  checking, 
susceptibility  to  a  high  polish,  and  durability  make 
it  highly  prized  for  a  great  variety  of  uses,  including 
furniture  and  cabinet  work,  gun-stocks,  and  air- 
plane propellers.  Small  trees  are  mostly  sapwood, 
which  is  light  colored  and  not  durable.  Walnut 
is  easily  propagated  from  the  nuts  and  grows 
rapidly  on  good  soil,  where  it  should  be  planted 
and  grown  for  timber  and  nuts. 

17 


PECAN 

{Hicoria  pecan  (Marsh.)  Britton) 

(Carya  pecan  Ashe  and  Gr.) 

TTHE  pecan  is  found  native  in  the  State  chiefly  in 
the"  southern  half,  but  has  been  widely  planted 
for  nuts,  and  from  them  has  sometimes  spread  con- 
siderably. It  makes  an  excellent  shade  tree,  and 
for  this  purpose  it  has  also  been  planted.  The  pecan 
is  tiie  largest  of  the  hickories,  attaining  heights  of 
over  100  feet  and  when  grown  in  the  open  forming  a 


PECAN 
One-quarter   natural   size. 

large  rounded  top  of  symmetrical  shape.  The  outer 
bark  is  rough,  hard,  tight,  but  broken  into  scales;  on 
the  limbs,  it  is  smooth  at  first  but  later  tends  to  scale 
or  divide  as  the  bark  grows  old. 

The  leaves  resemble  those  of  the  other  hickories 
and  the  black  walnut.  They  are  made  up  of  9  to  17 
leaflets,  each  oblong,  toothed  and  long-pointed,  and 
4  to  8  inches  long  by  about  2  inches  wide. 

The  flowers  appear  in  early  spring  and  hang  in 
tassels  from  2  to  3  inches  long.  The  fniif  is  a  nut, 
4-winged  or  angled,  pointed,  from  1  to  2  inches  long, 
and  one-half  to  1  inch  in  diameter,  borne  in  a  husk 
which  divides  along  its  grooved  seams  when  the  nut 
ripens  in  the  fall.  The  nuts,  which  vary  in  size  and 
in  the  thickness  of  the  shell,  have  been  greatly  im- 
proved by  selection  and  cultivation  and  are  sold 
on  the  market  in  large  quantities. 

The  wood  is  strong,  tough,  heavy  and  hard  and  is 
used  occasionally  in  making  handles  and  parts  of 
vehicles,  and  for  fuel. 

18 


^s>-m=><53i 


BITTERNUT  HICKORY 

(Hicoj'ia  minima  Britton) 

{Carya  cordiformis  K.  Koch) 

TTIIE  bitternut  hickory  is  a  tall  slender  tree  with 
broadly  pyramidal  crown,  attaining  a  height  of 
100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  2  to  3  feet.  It  is  found 
throughout  the  State  on  moist  rich  soils,  but  Ls 
nowhere  very  abundant. 

The  baxk   on   tlie   trunk   is   granite-gray,   faintly 
tinged  with  vellow  and  less  rough  than  in  most  of 


BITTERNUT    HICKORY 

Twig,  one-half 

natural  size. 

Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 

hickories,  yet  broken  into  thin,  plate-like  scales. 
The  winter  buds  are  compressed,  scurfy,  bright  yel- 
low, quite  different  from  those  of  its  relatives. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  compound,  from  6  to  10 
inches  long,  and  eompo.sed  of  from  7  to  11  leaflets. 
The  individual  leaflets  are  smaller  and  more  slender 
than  those  of  the  other  hickories. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree. 
The  fruit  is  about  1  inch  long  and  tliin-husked, 
while  file  nut  is  usually  tliin-shelled  and  brittle,  and 
tlu^  kernel  very  bitter. 

The  wood  is  hard,  strong  and  heavy,  reddish 
brown  in  color.  From  this  last  fact  it  gets  its  local 
name  of  red  hickory.  It  is  said  to  be  somewhat  in- 
ferior to  the  other  hickories,  but  is  used  for  the  same 
purposes. 

19 


e>-^ 


^o>  -i-^^i^t^-^a  -e>  -s^ 


SCALY-BARK  OR  SHELL-BARK  HICKORY 

(Hicori-a  ovata  Britton)  {Carya  ovata  K.  Koch) 

THE  scaly-bark  hickory  is  known  by  every  child 
of  the  community  because  of  its  sweet  and  de- 
licious nuts.  It  is  a  large  commercial  tree,  aver- 
aging 60  to  100  feet  high  and  1  to  2  feet  in  diameter. 
It  thrives  best  on  rich,  damp  soil  and  is  found 
along  streams  and  on  moist  hillsides  throughout  the 
State. 

Leaf,   one-third   »     Twig,  one-half  natural  size, 
natural  size,     f' 


SCALY-BARK   HICKORY 


The  bark  of  the  trunk  is  rougher  than  on  other 
hickories,  light  gray  and  separating  into  thick  plates 
which  are  only  slightly  attached  to  the  tree.  The 
terminal  winter  buds  are  egg-shaped,  the  outer  bud- 
scales  having  narrow  tips. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  compound,  from  8  to  15 
inches  long  and  composed  of  5,  rarely  7  obvate  to 
ovate  leaflets.  The  twigs  are  smooth  or  clothed  with 
short  hairs. 

The  fruit  is  borne  singly  or  in  pairs,  and  is  globu- 
lar. The  husk  is  thick  and  deeply  grooved  at  the 
seams.  The  nut  is  much  compressed  and  pale,  the 
shell  thin,  and  the  kernel  sweet.  The  flowers  are  of 
two  kinds,  opening  after  the  leaves  have  attained 
nearly  their  full  size. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  tough  and  very  strong. 
It  is  used  largely  in  the  manufacture  of  agricultural 
implements  and  tool  handles,  and  in  the  building  of 
carriages  and  wagons.  For  fuel  the  hickories  are 
the  most  satisfactory  of  our  native  trees. 

20 


WHITEHEART  OR  WHITE  HICKORY 

(Mockernut  Hickory) 

{Ilicuria  dha  Brittou)  {Carya  alha  K.  Koch) 

THE    white    hickory,    Avhiteheart,    mockernut,    or 
big-bud  hickory  is  coinmon  on  well-drained  soils 
throughout  the  State.    It  is  a  tall,  short-limbed  tree 
averaging  60  feet  high  and  1  to  2  feet  in  diameter. 

The  bark  is  dark  gray,  hard,  close  and  deeply 
furrowed,  often  apparently  cross-furrowed  or  netted. 
The  winter  buds  are  large,  round  or  broadly  egg- 
shaped,  and 
covered  with 
downy,    hard 

W  HI  TEH BART 

OR   WHITE 

HICKORY 

Leaf,  one-flfth 
natural  size. 


Twig,  two-thirds 
natural   size. 

scales.     The  recent  shoots  are  short,  stout  and  more 
or  le.ss  covered  with  a  downy  growth. 

The  leaves  are  large,  strong-scented  and  hairy, 
composed  of  7  to  9  obovate  to  oblong,  pointed  leaf- 
lets which  turn  a  beautiful  yellow  in  the  fall. 

The  flowers,  like  those  of  all  other  hickories,  are 
of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree ;  the  male  in  three- 
branched  catkins,  the  female  in  clusters  of  2  to  5. 
The  fruit  is  oval,  nearly  round  or  slightly  pear- 
shaped  with  a  very  thick,  strong-scented  husk  which 
splits  nearly  to  the  base  when  ripe.  The  nut  is  of 
various  forms,  but  is  sometimes  4  to  6  ridged,  light 
brown,  and  has  a  very  thick  shell  and  small,  sweet 
kernel. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  tough  and  strong;  it  is 
white  excepting  the  comparatively  small,  dark- 
brown  heart,  hence  the  name  white  hickory.  It  is 
used  for  vehicle  parts,  handles  and  picker-sticks.  It 
furnishes  the  best  of  fuel.  This  and  the  other 
hickories  are  very  desirable  both  for  forest  and 
shade  trees. 

21 


raiResT 


z>-m^^-^^-^  ■€>-f^<f^' 


^£> 


PIGNUT  HICKORY 

{Hiccoria  glabra  Britton)  {Canja  glabra  Sweet) 

THE  pignut  hickory  is  a  medium  to  large  upland 
tree,  occurring  plentifully  on  poor  soil  in  the 
middle  section  and  less  frequently  in  the  other  parts 
of  the  State.  It  has  a  tapering  trunk  and  a  narrow 
oval  head. 

The  bark  is  close  ridged  and  grayish,  but  oc- 
casionally rough  and  flaky.  The  twigs  are  thin, 
smooth     and     g  1  o  s  s  y  /pignut  hickory 

browm.       The       polished  y^j        Leaf,    oae-thlrd 

brown  winter  buds  are 
egg-shaped,  the  outer 
reddish     brown     scales 


natural    size. 


Twig,    one-half 
natural  size. 

falling  in  autumn. 

The  leaves  are  smooth,  8  to  12  inches  long  and 
composed  of  5  to  7  leaflets.  The  individual  leaflets 
are  rather  small  and  narrow. 

Tlie  fruit  is  pear-shaped  or  rounded,  usually  with 
a  neck  at  the  base,  very  thin  husks  splitting  only 
half  way  to  the  base  or  not  at  all.  The  nut  is  smooth, 
light  brown  in  color,  rather  tliick-shelled,  and  has  an 
edible  kernel. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  tough  and  flexi- 
ble. Its  uses  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  other 
hickories. 

The  small-fruited  hickory  (  Carya  microcarpa 
Nutt.),  by  some  considered  a  variety  of  the  pignut 
hickory,  difiPers  from  it  in  having  a  round  fruit  and 
a  bark  which  frequently  separates  into  narrow  plates. 

The  pale-leaved  hickory  (Carya  pallida  Ashe)  is 
found  scatteringly  in  the  upland  woods.  It  has  pale, 
delicate  foliage.  The  leaves  are  wooly  or  hairy  under- 
neath, and  when  young  are  covered  with  silvery 
scales.  The  husks  are  thicker  than  those  of  the  pignut. 
22 


is^5-^-e> 


BLACK  WILLOW 

(Salix  nigra  ]\Iar.sli.) 


THE  black  willow  is  common  along  streams 
throughout  the  State.  It  rarely  comes  to  be  over 
50  feet  in  height  and  is  frequently  found  growing 
singly  or  in  clumps  along  the  water  courses.  In 
winter  the  easily  separable,  bright  reddish-brown 
or  golden,  naked  twigs  are  quite  conspicuous. 

The  leaves  are  from  3  to  6  inches 
long  and  less  than  one-half  an 
inch  wide ;  the  tips  are  very  much 
tapered  and  the  entire  margins 
finely  toothed,.  The  leaves  are 
bright  green  on  both  sides,  turn- 
ing pale  yellow  in  the  early  au- 
tumn. 

The  flowers  are  in  catkins,  the 
male  and  female  on  separate  trees. 
The  fruit  is  a  pod  bearing  nu- 
merous minute  seeds  which  are 
furnished  with  long  silky  down, 
enabling  them  to  be  blown  long 
distances. 

The  bark  is  deeply  divided  into 
broad,  flat  ridges  whch  separate 
into  thick  plate-like  scales.  On  old 
trees  it  becomes  very  shaggy.  In 
color  it  varies  from  light  brown 
tinged  with  orange  to  dark  brown 
or  nearly  black. 

The  wood  is  soft,  light  and  not 
strong.    A  liigh  grade  of  charcoal, 

used  in  the  manufacture  of  gun-powder,  is  obtained 
from  willow  wood,  and  it  is  the  chief  Avood  used  in 
manufacture  of  artificial  limbs. 

There  are  many  species,  or  kinds,  of  willows  not 
easily  distinguished.  They  are  of  high  value  in 
checking  soil  erosion  and  waste  along  stream  banks, 
for  which  purpose  they  should  be  more  extensively 
grown. 


■^>-mp<^'^' 


liLXCK  WILLOW 
Two- thirds 
natural  size. 


23 


SWAMP  COTTONWOOD 

{Populus  hcterophylla  L.) 

TPIIS  is  a  tree  of  low,  wet  swamps  and  the  borders 
of  rivers,  in  the  Atlantic  coastal  and  Mississippi 
Valley  regions.  The  seeds  are  carried  far  by  winds 
and  germinate  on  Avet  sandy  soils.  The  tree  attains 
a  height  of  70  to  90  feet  and  a  diameter  of  3  feet. 
The  branches  are  usually  short,  forming  a  narrow, 
round-topped  head,  and  the  buds  are  resinous. 


SWAMP    COTTONWOOD 

Twig,  three-quarters  natural  size. 

Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 

The  leaves  are  broadly  ovate,  3  to  6  inches  wide 
and  4  to  7  inches  long,  gradually  narrowed  at  the 
tip  and  slightly  rounded  toward  the  base,  usually 
finely  toothed  along  the  edges,  dark  green  above, 
pale  and  smooth  below ;  on  rounded  leaf -stems  from 
2  to  3  inches  long. 

The  flowers,  which  bloom  in  early  spring,  are  in 
catkins,  the  female  catkins  few-flowered.  The  fruit, 
containing  the  tiny  seeds  supported  by  "cotton,"  is 
borne  on  female,  or  pistillate,  trees,  and  the  male, 
or  staminate,  flowers  occur  separatel}^  on  other  trees. 
The  fruit  ripens  before  the  leaves  are  fully  grown. 

The  wood  is  light  and  soft  and,  as  lumber,  re- 
quires special  attention  in  drying  to  prevent  its 
warping  badly.  It  makes  excellent  paper  pulp  for 
printing  half-tone  illustrations. 

The  European  white  poplar  {Populus  alha  L.)  with 
light-gray  bark  and  leaves,  white  wooly  beneath,  is 
often  found  near  old  houses  and  along  roadsides.  The 
Lombardy  poplar,  a  tall  narrow  form  of  the  European 
black  poplar  (Populus  nigra  var.  italica  Du  Roi)  is 
often  planted  and  is  a  striking  tree  for  the  roadside. 

24 

Library 
N.  C,  State  Collen-** 


CAROLINA  POPLAR  (Cottonwood) 

{Populus  deltoidcs  Marsh.) 

THE  eottouwood,  or  Carolina  poplar,  is  scattered 
widely  but  nowhere  occurs  in  great  abundance; 
it  does  not  grow  naturally  in  the  mountains.  The 
tree  is  easily  propagated  by  cuttings  and  grows 
rapidly,  hence  it  has  been  widely  planted  to  get 
shade  quickly.  For  this  purpose,  however,  the  tree 
is  unsatisfactory,  because  it  begins  to  shed  the  leaves 


^c>-#a=><5^^ 


CAKOLINA   POPLAR 
Leaf,  one-half  natural  size.  Twig,  one-third  natural  size. 

by  midsummer,  the  "cotton"  from  the  female,  or 
seed-bearing,  tree  is  often  a  nuisance,  the  soft  wood 
is  easily  broken  by  winds,  and  the  rank  grow^th  of 
the  roots  often  results  in  stopping  drain  pipes  and 
cracking  and  lifting  sidewalks. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  broadly  ovate 
or  triangular,  pointed,  square  at  the  base,  and 
coarsely  toothed  on  tlie  edges,  3  to  5  inches  across 
each  way,  covered  with  soft  white  hairs  on  the  under 
side,  supported  by  flattened  slender  stems,  2  to  3 
inches  long.  The  winter  buds  are  covered  with 
chestnut-brown,  resinous  scales.  The  flowers  are  in 
catkins  of  two  kinds,  male  and  female,  and  appear 
before  the  leaves.  The  fruit  containing  the  seed  has 
a  cluster  of  white  silky  hairs,  which  carries  it  for 
long  distances. 

The  wood  is  soft,  light-weight,  warps  easily  upon 
drying,  but  is  used  for  many  purposes,  sometimes  as 
a  substitute  for  yellow  poplar  and  linden.  It  makes 
the  highest  grade  of  gloss  magazine  paper  for  the 
printing  of  half-tone  illustrations. 

25 


RIVER  BIRCH   (Red  Birch) 

{Bet  id  a  nigra  L.) 

"THIS  is  the  only  native  birch  found  at  low  eleva- 
tions in  the  South.  It  is  at  home,  as  the  name  im- 
plies, along  water  courses,  and  inhabits  the  deep, 
rich  soils  along-  the  borders  of  streams,  ponds,  lakes, 
and  swamps  which  are  sometimes  inundated  for 
weeks  at  a  time. 

The  bark  provides  a  ready  means  of  distinguish- 
ing this  tree.    It  varies  from  reddish  brown  to  cinna- 


Rn^ER    BIRCH 

One-third  natural  size. 

mon-red  in  color,  and  peels  back  in  tough  papery- 
layers.  These  layers  persist  on  the  trunk,  present- 
ing a  very  ragged  and  quite  distinctive  appearance. 
Unlike  the  bark  of  our  other  birches,  the  thin  papery 
layers  are  usually  covered  with  a  gray  powder.  On 
older  trunks,  the  bark  on  the  main  trunk  becomes 
thick,  deeply  furrowed,  and  of  a  reddish-brown 
color. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  2  to  H  inches 
long,  more  or  less  oval  in  shape,  with  double  toothed 
edges.  The  upper  surface  is  dark  green  and  the 
lower  a  pale  yellowish  green. 

The  flowers  are  in  catkins,  the  two  kinds  grow- 
ing on  the  same  tree.  The  fruit  is  cone-shaped 
about  1  inch  long,  and  densely  crowded  with  little 
winged  nutlets  that  ripen  from  May  to  June. 

The  wood  is  strong  and  fairly  close-grained.  It 
has  been  to  some  extent  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  woodenware,  in  turnery  and  for  wagon  hubs. 
Since,  however,  this  tree  is  scattered  in  its  distribu- 
tion and  mostly  confined  to  the  banks  of  streams,  it 
does  not  figure  largely  in  commercial  lumbering, 
but  is  cut  chiefly  for  firewood. 

26 


T 


BLACK  BIRCH 

{Bctula  Icnla  L.) 

HE  black  birch,  also  known  as  sweet  birch  or 
clierry  birch,  occurs  only  in  the  highlands  and 
mountain  sections.  It  attains  its  best  development 
in  the  mountain  coves  and  on  rich  slopes  where  it 
reaches  an  average  height  of  70  feet  and  a  diameter 
of  2  to  3  feet.  The  tree  is  moderately  slow  growing, 
but  is  of  value  for  its  products  and  protection  to  the 
soil  in  the  high  mountains. 


BLACK  BIRCH 

Twig,   onp-half  natural   size.  Leaf,   one-third    natural   size. 

The  bark  of  the  trunk  is  dark  brown,  almost 
black,  dull  and  broken  into  large  irregular,  but  not 
papery,  plates.  The  small  branches  and  twigs,  also 
dark  in  color  but  lustrous  and  very  aromatic,  are 
frequently  cut  and  distilled  for  the  production  of 
birch  oil.  much  used  as  wintergreen  flavoring. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  oval  or  ap- 
proaching oblong,  3  to  4  inches  long,  finely  toothed 
and  dark  green,  dull  on  the  upper  surface. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds;  the  male  catkins, 
usually  3  to  4  on  a  shoot,  forming  in  the  summer  and 
blooming  the  following  spring  when  the  female  cat- 
kins or  "cones"  open  from  the  winter  buds.  Tiie 
seeds  ripen  in  late  summer  or  autumn  and  fall  with 
the  loosened  scales  of  the  "cone." 

Tlie  wood  is  heavy,  very  strong,  hard  and  compact. 
The  dark-brown  color  of  the  wood  has  given  rise  to 
the  common  local  name  of  mahogany,  or  mountain 
mahogany.  It  is  used  for  furniture,  often  being 
sold  as  "mahogany,"  and  for  flooring  and  interior 
trimming;  locally  it  is  prized  as  firewood. 

27 


-^^(60''53s^-' 


-o-^^^5^- 


IRONWOOD  (Hop  Hornbeam) 

{Ostrya  virginiana  K.  Koch.) 

TTllE  tree  gets  its  common  names  from  the  quali- 
ties of  its  wood  and  the  hop-like  fruit.  It  is  a 
small,  slender,  generally  round-topped  tree,  from 
20  to  30  feet  high  and  7  to  10  inches  in  diameter. 
The  top  consists  of  long  slender  branches,  commonly 
drooping  toward  the  ends.  It  is  found  mostly  on 
rather  dry  soils  throughout  the  upland  and  moun- 
tain regions. 


Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 


IRONWOOD 


Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 


The  bark  is  mostly  light  brown  or  reddish  brown, 
and  finely  divided  into  thin  scales  by  which  the 
tree,  after  a  little  acquaintance,  can  be  easily  rec- 
ognized. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  generally  oblong 
with  narrowed  tips,  sharply  toothed  along  the  mar- 
gin, sometimes  doubly  toothed,  from  2  to  3  inches 
long. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree ; 
the  male,  in  drooping  catkins  which  form  the  pre- 
vious summer,  the  female,  in  erect  catkins  on  the 
newly  formed  twigs.  The  fruit,  which  resembles 
that  of  the  common  hop  vine,  consists  of  a  branch 
of  leafy  bracts  1  to  2  inches  long  containing  a  num- 
ber of  flattened  ribbed  nutlets. 

The  wood  is  strong,  hard,  durable,  light  brown  to 
white,  with  thick  pale  sapwood.  It  is  often  used  for 
fence  posts,  handles  of  tools,  mallets  and  other  small 
articles. 

28 


wan^mT  t^recs 


-ccj^-^  -e>  -m^-s^'^  ■€>  •*^<5c^- 


■m^^^^>^ 


HORNBEAM 

(Carpinus  caruliniana  Walt.) 
THE  hornbeam,  also  known  as  ironwood,  blue  beech 
and  occasionally  as  water  beech,  is  a  small,  slow- 
growing,  bushy  tree  with  a  spreading  top  of  slender, 
crooked,  or  drooping  branches.  It  is  found  along 
streams  and  in  low  ground  throughout  the  State. 
Its  height  is  usually  from  20  to  30  feet  and  its 
diameter  4  to  8  inches,  although  it  sometimes  grows 
larger. 

The  trunk  is  fluted  with  irregular  ridges  extend- 

HORNBEAM 


Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-thirci  natural  size, 

Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 

ing  up  and  down  the  tree.  The  bark  is  light  brown- 
ish gray  to  dark  bluish  gray  in  color,  sometimes 
marked  with  dark  bands  extending  horizontally  on 
the  trunk. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  oval,  long-point- 
ed, doubly  toothed  along  the  margin,  2  or  3  inches 
in  length.  They  resemble  those  of  the  black  or  sweet 
birch,  but  are  smaller. 

The  flowers  are  borne  in  catkins  separately  on  the 
same  tree ;  the  male  catkin  about  IMi  inches  long, 
the  female  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch,  with  small, 
leaf-like,  3-lobed  green  scales.  The  fruit  is  a  nutlet 
about  one-third  of  an  inch  long.  It  falls,  attached 
to  the  leaf-like  scale  which  acts  as  a  wing  in  aiding 
its  distribution  by  the  wind. 

The  wood  is  tough,  close-grained,  heavy  and 
strong.  It  is  sometimes  selected  for  use  for  levers, 
tool  handles,  wooden  cogs,  mallets,  wedges,  etc.  The 
tree  is  of  little  commercial  importance  and  often 
occupies  space  in  the  woods  that  should  be  utilized 
by  more  valuable  kinds. 

29 


i-^-m^^^' 


■^• 


BEECH 

(Fagus  grandifolia  Ehrh.) 

TTHE  beech  occurs  throughout  the  State.  It  makes 
its  best  growth,  however,  in  the  moist  coves  in 
the  mountains.  It  is  widely  found  scattered  with 
oaks  and  hickories  on  rich,  well-drained  bottoms, 
and  in  the  mountains  sometimes  occurs  in  unmixed, 
denae  stands.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
trees,  either  in  summer  or  winter. 

The  simple,  oval  leaves  are  3 
to  4  inches  long,  pointed  at  the 
tip,  and  coarsely  toothed  along 


BEECH 
One-half  natural  size. 

the  margin.  When  mature,  they  are  almost  leathery 
in  texture.  The  beech  produces  a  dense  shade.  The 
winter  buds  are  long,  slender  and  pointed. 

The  bark  is,  perhaps,  the  most  distinctive  charac- 
teristic, as  it  maintains  an  unbroken,  light  gray  sur- 
face throughout  its  life.  So  tempting  is  this  smooth 
expanse  to  the  owner  of  a  jackknife  that  the  beech 
has  been  well  designated  the  "initial  tree." 

The  little,  brown,  three-sided  beech  nuts  are  almost 
as  well  known  as  chestnuts.  They  form  usually  in 
pairs  in  a  prickly  burr.  The  kernel  is  sweet  and 
edible,  but  so  small  as  to  offer  insufficient  reward  for 
the  pains  of  biting  open  the  thin-shelled  husk. 

The  wood  of  the  beech  is  very  hard,  strong,  and 
tough,  though  it  will  not  last  long  on  exposure  to 
weather  or  in  the  soil.  The  tree  is  of  no  great  eco- 
nomic importance  as  a  lumber  tree,  though  the  wood 
is  used  to  some  extent  for  furniture,  flooring,  car- 
penters' tools,  and  novelty  wares. 

30 


»<X?§;.-^  -€>-^?^<xJt>- 


CHESTNUT 

(Castanca  thniata  liorkli.) 

IN  tlic  Southern  States  the  cliestnut  is  native  to  the 
hilly  and  mountain  sections.    It  is  one  of  our  most 
useful  trees  and  as  such,  has  been  called  the  "farm- 
er's best  friend." 

The  long^-pointed  leaves  with  their  coarse  teeth, 
each  bearing  a  slender  spine,  are  quite  distinctive. 
They  are  simple,  alternate,  average  5  to  10  inches  in 


CHESTNUT 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 
Lxfat,  one-third  natural  size. 

length,  and  are  dark  green  in  color.  The  flowers  are 
of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree,  the  long,  slender, 
whitish  catkins  opening  in  midsummer.  The  fruit 
is  a  prickly  burr,  which  opens  at  the  first  frost,  or 
earlier,  and  drops  2  or  3  shiny,  brown,  sweet,  edible 
nuts. 

The  bark  becomes  broken  into  light-gray,  broad, 
flat  ridges,  which  often  have  a  tendency  toward  a 
spiral  course  around  the  trunk. 

Tlie  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  coarse-grained, 
and  very  durable  in  contact  with  the  soil — qualities 
which  make  it  particularly  valuable  for  posts,  poles, 
crossties,  as  well  as  for  light  building  construction. 
The  wood  is  rich  in  tannin,  and  in  the  southern  Ap- 
palachians it  is  extensively  cut  and  used  for  the  ex- 
traction of  this  valuable  commercial  product. 

A  bark  disease,  known  as  the  chestnut  blight,  is 
proving  fatal  to  the  chestnut,  and  has  already  prac- 
tically exterminated  the  tree  over  much  of  north- 
eastern United  States.  It  has  already  reached  por- 
tions of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 

31 


CHINQUAPIN 

(Castanea  pumila  Mill.) 

THIS  small  tree  occurs  at  rare  intervals  through- 
out the  northern  half  of  the  State  on  both  low- 
lands and  dry  uplands,  but  is  most  frequently  found 
in  the  higher  mountains.  It  is  usually  under  10 
inches  in  diameter  and  less  than  30  feet  high.  Tiie 
trunk  is  short  and  straight  and  bears  a  rounded  head 
made  up  of  slender,  spreading  branches.  Sometimes 
the  small  trees,  less  than  10  feet  in  height,  form 
dense  thickets. 


CHINQUAPIN 

Twig,  one-third  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 

The  leaves,  bark  and  fruit  resemble  those  of  the 
common  chestnut,  and  the  fruit  ripens  in  the  late 
summer  or  fall.  The  nut,  however,  is  borne  singly 
in  a  burr  that  measures  commonly  only  a  little  more 
than  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  nut  is  rounded,  dark 
chestnut-brown,  shiny,  and  the  thin  coat,  lined  in- 
side with  fine  whitish  hairs,  contains  a  sweet  kernel, 
which  is  prized  for  food. 

The  wood  is  light,  hard,  strong,  coarse-grained;  it 
is  suitable  for  fence  posts,  crossties,  and  fuel;  but, 
because  of  its  small  size  and  comparative  scarcity, 
it  is  of  little  economic  importance. 


32 


-e> 


-e>  -^g^-co^-s  -e>  -?^-c??>- 


WHITE  OAK 

{QucrcH.-i  alba  L.) 

WITHIN  its  natural  range,  which  includes  prac- 
tically  the  entire  eastern  half  of  the  United 
States,  the  white  oak  is  one  of  the  most  important 
timber  trees.  It  commonly  reaches  a  height  of  60 
to  100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  2  to  3  feet;  sometimes 
it  becomes  much  larger.  It  is  found  in  a  wide  variety 
of  soils.     When   grown  in   a  dense  stand   it   has  a 


WHITE    OAK 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-quarter  natural  size. 

straight  continuous  trunk,  free  of  side  branches  for 
over  half  its  height.  In  the  open,  however,  the  tree 
develops  a  broad  crown  with  far-reaching  limbs. 
Well-grown  specimens  are  strikingly  beautiful. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  simple,  5  to  9  inches 
long  and  about  half  as  broad.  They  are  deeply  di- 
vided into  5  to  9  rounded,  finger-like  lobes.  The 
young  leaves  are  a  soft  silvery  gray  or  yellow  or 
red  while  unfolding,  becoming  later  bright  green 
above  and  much  paler  below.  The  fruit  is  an  acorn 
maturing  the  first  year.  The  nut  is  three-quarters 
to  one  inch  long,  light  brown,  about  one-quarter  en- 
closed in  the  warty  cup.  It  is  relislied  by  hogs  and 
other  live  stock.  The  bark  is  thin,  light  ashy  gray 
and  covered  with  loose  scales  or  broad  plates. 

The  wood  is  useful  and  valuable.  It  is  heavy, 
.strong,  hard,  tough,  close-grained,  durable,  and  light 
brown  in  color.  The  uses  are  many,  including  con- 
struction, shipbuilding,  tight  cooperage,  furniture, 
wagons,  implements,  interior  finish,  flooring,  and 
fuel.  Notwithstanding  its  rather  .slow  growth,  while 
oak  is  valuable  for  forest,  highway  and  ornamental 
planting. 

33 


POST  OAK 

{QiieyciLs  stellata  Wang.,  formerly  Q.  minor  Sarg.) 

TTHE  post  oak  is  often  a  medium-sized  tree,  with  a 
rounded  crown,  commonly  reaching  a  height  of 
50  to  80  feet  and  a  diameter  of  1  to  2  feet,  but  some- 
times attains  large  size.  It  occurs  throughout  most 
of  the  State,  ascending  in  the  mountains  to  2,500 
feet ;  it  is  most  abundant  on  the  poorer  soils  of  the 
middle  districts,  and  least  abundant  in  the  southern 
portions. 


POfeT   QAK 
One-third  natural  size. 

The  bark  is  rougher  and  darker  than  the  white  oak 
and  broken  into  smaller  scales.  The  stout  young 
twigs  and  the  leaves  are  coated  at  first  with  a  thick 
light-colored  fuzz  which  soon  becomes  darker  and 
later  drops  away  entirely. 

The  leaves  are  usually  4  to  5  inches  long  and 
nearly  as  broad,  deeply  5-lobed  with  broad  rounded 
divisions,  the  lobes  broadest  at  the  ends.  They  are 
thick  and  somewhat  leathery,  dark  green  and  shiny 
on  the  upper  surface,  lighter  green  and  rough  hairy 
beneath. 

The  flowers,  like  those  of  the  other  oaks,  are  of 
two  kinds  on  the  same  tree,  the  male  in  drooping, 
clustered  catkins,  the  female  inconspicuous.  The 
fruit  is  an  oval  acorn,  one-half  to  1  inch  long,  set  in  a 
rather  small  cup  which  may  or  may  not  be  stalked. 

The  wood  is  very  heavy,  hard,  close-grained,  light 
to  dark  brown,  durable  in  contact  with  the  soil. 
It  is  used  for  crossties  and  fence  posts,  and  along 
with  other  oaks  of  the  white  oak  class  for  furniture 
and  other  purposes. 

34 


OVERCUP  OAK 

{Qucrcus  I y rata  Walt.) 


'e>-i^<c^'< 


TTIiE  overcup  oak,  sometimes  known  as  swamp  post 
oak,  is  a  large  tree  with  small,  often  pendulous 
branches  rarely  reaching  a  height  of  100  feet  and  a 
diameter  of  3  feet.  It  occurs  in  river  bottoms  and 
rich  low  grounds  of  the  Coastal  Plain  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi basin,  but  is  nowhere  very  abundant. 

The  leaves  are  7  to  9  inches  long,  1  to  4  inches 
broad,  oblong, 
wider  towards  the 
point,  narrowed  at 
the  base,  dark 
green  above,  whit- 
ish beneath,  with 
7  to  9  distinct, 
deep,  pointed 
lobes.  They  fre- 
quently turn  to  a 
bright  scarlet  or  to 
scarlet  and  orange 
in  the  fall.  The 
bark  is  rough, 
flaky,  gray  tinged 
with  red. 

The  flowers 


OVBRCTJP  OAK 
Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


open  in  April  with  the  unfolding  of  the  leaves.  The 
acorn,  or  fruit,  ripens  the  first  year.  It  is  thor- 
oughly characteristic  of  the  species.  Tlie  large 
rounded  or  somewhat  flattened  acorn,  one-half  to 
1  inch  long,  is  nearly  covered  by  the  ovate  or 
nearly  spherical  cup,  which  is  thickened  at  the  base 
but  gradually  grows  thinner  to  the  thin,  often  ir- 
regularly split,  margin  of  the  cup.  The  name  of 
the  tree  comes  from  this  characteristic. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong  and  durable  and 
is  used  for  the  same  purposes  as  that  of  white  oak. 


35 


^^f^<53^^  -^> 


^s>  -m^^-r-i^-^  ^>  -^ 


CHESTNUT  OAK 

{Querent  montana  Willd.,  lormerly  Q.  piimis  L.) 

^HESTNUT  oak,  also  known  as  mountain  oak  and 
rock  oak,  has  acquired  these  names  from  its 
leaf,  which  resembles  tliat  of  the  chestnut,  and  from 
its  fondness  for  rocky  or  mountain  ridges.  It  is 
found  widely  distributed  throughout  the  mountains 
on  dry  gravelly  and  rocky  slopes,  ridges  and  stream 
banks. 


CHESTNUT  OAK 

One-thiid  natural  size. 

It  is  noticeably  a  spreading  tree  of  medium 
height;  at  15  to  20  feet,  the  trunk  frequently  di- 
vides into  several  large,  angular  limbs,  making  an 
open,  irregular-shaped  head.  The  bark  is  dark  red- 
dish brown,  thick,  deeply  divided  into  broad,  round- 
ed, ridges,  and  is  of  high  commercial  value  for  the 
extraction  of  tannic  acid. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  oblong,  often 
rounded  at  the  point,  irregularly  scalloped  or  wavy 
on  the  edge  (not  sharp-toothed  as  in  chestnut),  5  to 
9  inches  long,  and  shiny  yellowisli  green  above, 
lighter  and  slightly  fuzzy  beneath.  The  fruit  is  an 
acorn  about  an  inch  long,  oval,  shiny  brown,  and 
enclosed  up  to  half  its  length  in  a  cup.  It  ripens 
in  one  season,  and,  like  the  acorn  of  the  white  oak, 
sprouts  in  the  autumn  soon  after  falling  to  the 
ground. 

The  wood  is  generally  similar  to  that  of  the  other 
upland  white  oaks,  heavy,  hard,  strong,  and  durable 
in  contact  with  the  soil.  It  is  extensively  cut  into 
crossties  and  heavy  timbers  for  bridge,  railroad,  and 
other  rough  construction,  and  used  for  fence  posts 
and  fuel. 

36 


SWAMP  CHESTNUT  OAK 

(Basket  Oak,  or  Cow  Oak) 

(Quercus   prinus   L.,    i'onuerly    Q.    micliaiuii   Xult.) 

THIS  tree  occurs  in  the  bottomlands  of  the  State, 
but  is  rather  sparsely  distributed.  In  the  appear- 
ance of  its  bark  and  branches  it  closely  resembles 
the  ordinary  white  oak,  but  may  be  distinguished  by 
means  of  the  leaf  and  acorn.  The  tree  attains  heights 
of  about  100  feet  and  diameters  of  about  4  feet. 

The  leaves  are 
oval,  broader  to- 
wards the  point  and 
notched  on  the  edge 
somewhat  like  the 
chestnut  oak.  They 
vary  from  4  to  8 
inches  in  length,  are 
downy  beneath  and 
turn  a  rich  crimson 
in  the  fall.  The  bark 
is  a  very  light  gray, 
K  and  on  old  trees  is 
l>roken  into  broad 
flakes  or  divided  into 
strips. 

Tlie  acorn,  or  fruit, 
attains  a  diameter  of 
more  than  an  inch  and  a  length  of  li/o  inches.  The 
acorn,  which  is  a  bright  shiny  brown  and  set  in  a 
rather  shallow  cup,  is  considerably  larger  than  that 
of  the  white  oak.  It  is  frequently  eaten  by  cows  and 
this  fact  gives  the  tree  one  of  its  common  names. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  tough,  strong,  and  takes 
an  excellent  polish.  It  is  used  in  manufacturing 
lumber,  veneer,  boards  (shakes),  tight  cooperage; 
for  fuel  and  fence  posts ;  and  extensively  for  making 
baskets. 


SWAMP  CHBSTMT  OAK 
Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 
Twij?,  one-liaif  natural  size. 


37 


^>-m=^<^&' 


^>-m>^^^st^^-e>-m 


LIVE  OAK 

{Quercus  virginiana  Mill.) 

TTHE  live  oak  extends  from  southeastern  Virginia 
through  the  lower  Coastal  Plain  of  North  Caro- 
lina and  southward.     It  is  a  tree  of  striking  char- 
acter   from    its    wide-spreading    habit ;    sometimes 
reaching  more  than  100  feet  in  spread ;  with  a  short, 
stout  trunk,   3  to  4  feet  in   diameter,   dividing   in 
several  large  limbs  with  nearly  horizontal  branches, 
forming    a   low,    dense, 
round-topped  head.    Its 
height      is      commonly 
from  40  to  50  feet.   The 
bark  on  the  trunk  and 
large  branches  is  dark 
brown  tinged  with  red, 
and   slightly   furrowed. 
It  grows  to  largest  size 
on   the   rich   hammocks 
and    low     ridges    near 
the    coast    and    only    a 
few     feet     above     the 
water  level.     It  is  one 
of    the    most    desirable 
trees  for  roadside   and 
ornamental  planting  in 
the    Coastal    Plain.      It 
is   of   moderately   slow   growth   but   long-lived   and 
handsome. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  evergreen,  thick,  leathery, 
oblong,  smooth  above,  pale  and  silvery  white  be- 
neath ;  from  2  to  4  inches  in  length  and  1  to  2  inches 
in  breadth. 

The  fruit  is  an  acorn  about  an  inch  long  and  one- 
third  inch  wide,  borne  on  a  long  stem  or  peduncle ; 
it  is  oblong,  dark  brown  and  lustrous,  and  set  in  a 
top-shaped,  downy  cup  of  a  light  reddish-brown 
color. 

The  wood  is  very  heavy,  hard,  strong  and  tough, 
light  brown  or  yellow,  with  nearly  white,  thin  sap- 
wood.  It  was  formerly  largely  used,  and  still  is 
occasionally,  for  ships'  knees  in  building  wooden 
ships. 


LIVE   OAK 

Two-thirds  natural  size. 


38 


<s2^>-^-e> 


RED  OAK  (Southern  Red  Oak) 

(Quercus  rubra  Linn.,  formerly  Q.  digitata  Sudw.) 

THE  southern  red  oak,  commonly  known  as  red 
oak  and  referred  to  in  books  as  Spanish  oak, 
usually  grows  to  a  height  of  70  to  80  feet  and  a  di- 
ameter of  2  to  3  feet,  though  larger  trees  are  not 
infrequently  found.  It  is  one  of  the  most  common 
southern  upland  oaks.  Its  large  .spreading  branches 
form  a  broad,  round,  open  top.     The  bark  is  rough, 

though  not 
deeply  fur- 
rowed,  and 
varies  from 
light  gray  on 
younger  trees 
to  dark  gray  or 
almost  black  on 
older  ones. 

The  leaves 
are  of  two  dif- 
ferent types: 
(1)  irregular- 
shaped  lobes, 
mostly  narrow, 
bristle  -  tipped, 
the  central  lobe 
often  the  longest;  or  (2)  pear-shaped  with  3  rounded 
lobes  at  the  outer  end.  They  are  dark  lustrous 
green  above  and  gray  downy  beneath,  the  contrast 
being  strikingly  seen  in  a  wind  or  rain  storm. 

The  flowers  appear  in  April  while  the  leaves  are 
unfolding.  The  fruit  ripens  the  second  years.  The 
small  rounded  acorn,  about  half  an  inch  long,  is 
set  in  a  thin  saucer-shaped  cup  which  tapers  to  a 
short  stem. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  coarse-grained, 
and  is  less  .subject  to  defects  than  most  other  red 
oaks.  It  is  used  for  rough  lumber  and  for  furni- 
ture, chairs,  tables,  etc.  It  is  a  desirable  timber 
tree,  especially  on  the  poorer,  drier  soils.  The  bark 
is  rich  in  tannin. 

The  freedom  of  this  tree  from  disease,  it«s  thrifty 
growth,  large  handsome  form  and  long  life  make 
it  very  desirable  for  shade  or  ornamental  use. 


SOUTHBRiN  RED  OAK 
Leaf,  one-third  naturnl  si» 
Twig,  one-half  natural  siz( 


39 


NORTHERN  RED  OAK 

{Quercua  borealis  marima  Ashe, 

formerly  Q.  ruhra  L.) 

THE  northern  red  oak  occurs  throughout  the 
State,  but  is  most  common  and  of  best  quality  in 
the  higher  mountains.  It  is  not  found  in  swamps. 
It  usually  attains  a  height  of  about  70  feet  and  a 
diameter  ranging  from  2  to  3  feet,  but  is  sometimes 
much  larger.  The  forest-grown  tree  is  tall  and 
straight  with  a  clear  trunk  and  narrow  crown. 

The  bark  on  young 
items  is  smooth,  gray  to 
brown  on 
older  t  r  ee  s 
thick  and 
b  r  0  k  e  n  by 
shallow  fis- 
sures into 
regular,  flat, 
smooth  -  sur- 
faced plates. 
The  leaves 
are  simple, 
alternate,  5 
to  9  inches 
long  and  4  to 
6  inches  wide, 
broader  to- 
ward the  tip, 
divided  into 
7  to  9  lobes,  each  lobe  being  somewhat  coarsely 
toothed  and  bristle-tipped,  and  firm,  dull  green 
above,  paler  below,  often  turning  a  brilliant  red 
after  frost.  The  flowers,  as  in  all  the  oaks,  are  of 
two  kinds  on  the  same  tree,  the  male  in  long,  droop- 
ing, clustered  catkins,  opening  with  the  leaves,  the 
female  solitary  or  slightly  clustered.  The  fruit  is 
a  large  acorn  maturing  the  second  year.  The  nut 
is  from  three-foui'ths  to  1%  inches  long,  blunt- 
topped,  flat  at  base,  with  only  its  base  enclosed  in 
the  very  shallow  dark-brown  cup. 

The  wood  is  hard,  strong,  coarse-grained,  with 
light  reddish-brown  heartwood  and  thin  lighter-col- 
ored sapwood.  It  is  used  for  cooperage,  interior  tin- 
ish,  construction,  furniture,  and  crossties.  Because 
of  its  average  rapid  growth,  high-grade  wood,  and 
general  freedom  from  insect  and  fungus  attack,  it  is 
widely  planted  in  the  higher  portions  of  the  State 
for  timber  production  and  as  a  shade  tree. 


NORTHERN  RED  OAK 
Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 


40 


BLACK  OAK 

(Querent  velutinu  Lam.) 

THE  , black  oak,  sometimes  farther  north  called 
yellow  oak  or  yellow-barked  oak,  usually  grows 
to  be  about  80  feet  in  height  and  1  to  3  feet  in  diam- 
eter. It  is  found  commonly  throughout  the  State 
on  dry  plains  and  ridges,  but  seldom  on  rich  ground. 
The  crown  is  irregularly  shaped  and  wide,  with  a 
clear  trunk  for  20  feet  or  more  on  large  trees.    The 

bark  on 


Twig,  one-hall 
natural  size. 


BL.\CK  OAK 
Leaf,  oue-third  natural  size. 


bitter  taste  of  the  inner  bark;  due  to  tannic  acid, 
are  di.stinguishing  characteristics. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  simple,  5  to  10  inches 
long  and  3  to  8  inches  wide,  shallow  or  deeply 
lobed,  the  shape  varying  greatly.  When  mature, 
the  leaves  are  dark  green  and  shiny  on  the  upper 
surface,  pale  on  the  lower,  more  or  less  covered 
with  down,  and  with  conspicuous  rusty  brown  hairs 
in  the  forks  of  the  veins. 

Tlie  fruit  matures  the  second  season.  The  light- 
brown  nut  is  from  one-half  to  1  inch  long,  more 
or  less  hemispherical  in  shape,  and  from  one-half 
to  three-quarters  enclosed  in  the  thin,  dark-brown, 
scaly  cup.  Tlie  krrnel  is  yellow  and  extremely 
bitter. 

The  wood  is  hard,  heavy,  strong,  coarse-grained 
and  checks  easily.  It  is  a  bright  red-brown  with 
a  thin  outer  edge  of  paler  sapwood.  It  is  used  for 
the  same  purposes  as  red  oak.  under  wliicii  name  it 
is  put  on  the  market.     Its  growth   is  rather 

41 


dow. 


'-e>  -m^<K^^  -e> 


-Q>-i^-o^.^  -e>- 


SCARLET  OAK 

{Quercus  coccinca  Mueneh.) 

CCARLET  OAK,  also  known  as  pin,  Spanish  or 
spotted  oak,  occurs  usually  on  dry,  rocky,  or 
sandy  soils,  but  is  nowhere  very  abundant  or  of  first 
importance.  It  usually  reaches  a  height  of  60  or  80 
feet,  with  a  trunk  diameter  of  2  or  3  feet,  and  is 
sometimes  larger.     The  branches  droop  at  the  end 

and  form  a 
narrow,  open 
crown  and  the 
trunk  tapers 
rapidly.  The 
bark  on  young 
stems  is 
smooth  and 
light  brown. 
On  old  trunks 
it  is  divided 
into  ridges  not 
so  rough  as 
those  of  the 
black  oak  and 
not  so  flat-top- 
ped as  those  of 
the  northern 
red  oak.  The 
bark  is  often 
mottled  or 
spotted    with    gray.      The    inner    bark    is    reddish. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  somewhat  oblong 
or  oval,  3  to  6  inches  long,  2^4  to  4  inches  wide, 
usually  7-lobed,  the  lobes  bristle-pointed  and  sepa- 
rated by  rounded  openings  extending  at  least  two- 
thirds  of  the  distance  to  the  njidrib,  giving  the  leaves 
a  very  deeply  "cut"  appearance.  The  leaves  turn  a 
brilliant  scarlet  in  the  autumn  before  falling.  The 
flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree  and  ap- 
pear when  the  leaves  are  two  thirds  or  one-half 
grown.  The  fruit  takes  2  years  to  mature.  The 
acorn  is  one-half  to  1  inch  long,  reddish  brown, 
often  striped,  and  about  half-enclosed  in  the  cup. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong  and  coarse- 
grained. The  lumber  is  sold  as  red  oak  and  has  the 
same  uses.  It  is  usually  somewhat  inferior  in  qual- 
ity and  sometimes  known  as  pin  oak.  Scarlet  oak 
is  used  considerably  in  ornamental  planting. 


SCARLET  OAK 
Leaf    one-third  natural 
Twig,   one-half   natural   s 


42 


<S3:|>- 


-e>  -^j^<^^-^  -e>  ■mp<^^'< 


TURKEY  OAK 


{Quercus  catesbaei  Michx.) 

TTHE  turkey  oak  is  one  of  the  characteristic  trees  of 
the  Coastal  Plain  region,  being  most  abundant 
ajid  reaching  its  largest  size  on  dry  baiTen  sandy 
ridges  and  sandy  bluffs  and  hammocks  close  to  the 
coast.  It  is  usually  20  or  30  feet  high,  but  rarely 
reaches  a  height  of*  60  feet,  with  a  trunk  a  foot  and 
a  half  to  2  feet  in  diameter.  Its  branches  are  stout 
spreading  and  more  or  less  contorted,  forming  an 
open   irregular   but  generally   round-topped  crown. 


TURKEY   OAK 

Leaf,  one-third  natural  size.  Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 

The  leaves  are  deeply  divided  into  3  or  5,  or  rarely 
7  lobes,  spreading  and  tapering  from  the  base,  and 
average  about  5  inches  long  as  well  as  wide.  They 
are  thick  and  rigid,  bright  yellow-green  and  lustrous 
above,  paler  and  somewhat  downy  on  the  under  sur- 
face. They  are  very  characteristic  and  should  not 
be  confused  with  those  of  aiiy  other  tree. 

The  a-com  is  short-stalked,  dull,  light  brown  in 
color,  an  inch  long  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
broad.  It  is  oval  in  shape,  full  and  rounded  at  both 
ends,  and  is  enclosed  for  about  a  third  of  its  length 
in  a  thin  light  red-brown  cup  covered  by  rounded 
scales  that  extend  above  the  rim  of  the  cup  and 
down  over  part  of  the  inner  surface. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  rather  close- 
grained  and  light  brown  in  color,  tinged  with  red. 
It  Ls  used  largely  for  fuel,  but  is  cut  to  some  extent 
for  lumber  and  used  for  general  conj'truction. 

43 


^>  ■^^<x^^  ^>  -^^•<x?c 


BLACK  JACK  OAK 

{QuerciLs  manlandica  Muench.) 

TTHE  occurrence  of  black  jack  oak  is  said  to  indi- 
cate poor  soil.  It  is  certain  that  it  often  occurs 
on  dry  or  poorly  drained  gravel  clay,  or  sandy  up- 
land soils  where  few  other  forest  trees  thrive.  This 
perhaps  accounts  chiefly  for  its  slow  rate  of  growth. 
It  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  The  tree  some- 
times reaches  a  height  of  50  or  60  feet  and  a  diam- 


^     & 


BLACK  JACK  OAK 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third  natural  size 

eter  of  16  inches,  but  it  is  usually  much  smaller.  Its 
hard,  stiff,  drooping  branches  form  a  dense  crown 
which  usually  contains  many  persistent  dead  twigs. 
The  bark  is  rough,  very  dark,  often  nearly  black, 
and  broken  into  small,  hard  scales  or  flakes. 

The  leaves  are  of  leathery  texture,  dark  green  en 
the  upper  surface,  lighter  underneath,  broadly 
wedge-shaped,  4  to  10  inches  long  and  about  the 
same  in  width.  The  fruit  is  an  acorn  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  long,  yellow-broAvn  and  often 
striped,  inclosed  for  half  its  length  or  more  in  a 
thick  light-brown  cup. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard  and  strong;  when  used 
at  all,  it  is  used  mostly  as  firewood. 


44 


S|:.«f^-^  -e>-^^<K?:|>- 


WATER  OAK 


-e^-*^-^ 


{Que  re  us  nigra  L.) 

TIIE  Avater  oak  is  found  native  along  the  borders 
of  swamps  and  streams  and  on  rich  bottomlands, 
over  the  Coastal  Plain  rejjion  and  somewhat  further 
inland.  It  has  been  widely  planted  in  the  Southern 
States  along  streets  and  in  parks  as  a  shade  tree. 
When  fully  grown  this  tree  reaches  a  height  of  about 
80  feet  and  a  diameter  of  from  1  to  over  3  feet.    The 

trunk  is  shapely. 
The  bark  is 
s  moot  h,  light 
brown  winged 
with  red,  and  ha^ 
many  smooth  thin 
scales  over  the 
surface.  The 
water  oak  can  be 
most  readily  dis- 
tinguished from 
the  willow  oak — 
a  close  associate, 
but  longer-lived — 
by  the  differences  in  the  general  shape  and  size  of 
the  leaves. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  quite  variable  in  shape, 
mostly  oblong,  broader  near  the  point,  and  narrower 
at  the  base,  giving  a  wedge-shaped  effect.  They  are 
usually  slightly  3-lobed  at  the  outer  end,  thin,  and 
of  a  dull  bluish-green  color,  paler  below  than  above ; 
mostly  smooth,  and  usually  2  to  3  inches  long  and 
1  to  2  inches  wide ;  they  remain  green  for  some  time 
and  gradually  fall  from  the  tree  during  the  winter. 
The  flowers  appear  in  April  when  the  leaves  are 
beginning  to  unfold.  The  fruit,  or  acorn,  matures 
at  the  end  of  the  second  season.  The  acorn  is  from 
one-half  to  two-thirds  of  an  inch  in  length  and 
nearly  as  broad,  liglit  brown  or  yellowish  brown  and 
often  striped,  enclosed  at  the  base  only  in  a  thin 
saucer-shaped  cup. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  and  strong,  light  brown 
in  color,  with  lighter-colored  sapwood.  It  is  not 
used  to  a  great  extent  as  lumber,  but  the  trees  are 
cut  and  utilized  for  piling,  crossties  and  fuel. 

45 


WATER  OAK 
Leaf,  one- third  naturnl  size. 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 


-e> 


WILLOW  OAK 

{Quercus  phcllos  L.) 

THE  willow  oak,  often  called  water  oak,  occurs 
generally  over  the  State,  except  in  the  mountains 
in  the  northern  section.  It  is  most  often  found  in 
lowlands  and  along  the  borders  of  rivers  and 
swamps,  but  often  also  on  rich  sandy  uplands.  It  is 
a  beautiful  and  long-lived  tree,  and  desirable  for 
roadside,  lawns  and  parks,  for  which  it  has  been 
widely  planted. 

The  slender  willow-like  leaves,  on  a  tree  whose 
habit  of  growth  is  manifestly  that  of  an  oak,  make 

the  tree  easy  to 
identify  in  the  for- 
est. The  leaves  axe 
2  to  4  inches  long 
and  one-half  to  1 
inch  wide,  with 
smooth  or  slightly 
wavy  margin,  bris- 
tle-pointed, smooth, 
light  green  and 
shiny  above,  but 
dull  and  usually 
smooth  below ;  al- 
ternate in  arrange- 
ment on  the  twig 
and  borne  on  a 
short  stout  stem. 
The  bark  is  gener- 
ally smooth  and  of  a  reddish  brown  color ;  with  age, 
the  bark  becomes  slightly  roughened  and  divided  by 
narrow  ridges. 

The  small  acorns,  closely  set  along  the  stem,  ma- 
ture at  the  end  of  the  second  year.  The  nut  is  a 
light-brown  hemisphere,  about  one-half  an  inch  in 
diameter,  its  base  scarcely  enclosed  in  the  shallow, 
reddish-brown  cup.  The  nuts  are  eaten  as  food  by 
bluejays,  grackles  ("black  birds"),  and  several 
other  species  of  birds,  as  well  as  by  rodents. 

The  wood  is  not  separated  commercially  from 
other  species  in  the  red  oak  group.  It  is  heavy, 
strong,  rather  coarse-grained,  light  brown  tinged 
with  red,  and  not  durable  when  exposed  to  the 
weather.  It  is  used  locally  for  crossties,  bridge 
planks,  barn  sills,  and  general  construction. 


WILLOW   OAK 

Twig, 
one-half  natur£Ll  size. 

Leaf, 
one-third  natural  size. 


46 


^- 


Unlik 


LAUREL  OAK 

{Quercus  laur-i folia  Michx.) 
THE  laurel  oak  is  nowhere  abundant  in  the  State, 
but   is   gfonerally   distributed    throuj^li   the   lower 
coast  region  on  the  banks  of  streams  and  in  or  near 
swamps  and  rich  hammocks. 

the     water     oak     or     the     willow 
oak,  it  has  not  been  widely 
planted  as  a  shade  tree  and 
so   is  little  known.     It   is  a 
large  tree,  reaching  a  height 
of  100  feiet  and  a  diam- 
eter of  3  to  4  feet,  with 
slender  branches  form- 
ing  a   broad   dense 
r  0  u  n  d-t  o  p  p  e  d 
shapely   crowTi. 

The    bark    of 
young  trees  is  dark 


brown,  more  or  less  tinged  with  red,  roughened  by 
small  close  scales,  becoming  on  older  trees  nearly 
black  and  broken  into  broad  flat  ridges. 

The  leaves  are  from  3  to  4  inches  long  and  %  to 
over  an  inch  wide.  They  bear  the  same  general  re- 
semblance to  the  laurel  that  the  willow  oak  does  to 
the  willow,  and  should  not  be  confused  with  this  lat- 
ter tree  because  of  their  greater  width  in  proportion 
to  their  length.  They  are  thin  and  very  shiny  above, 
lighter  green  below  and  with  less  gloss.  They  fall 
during  the  early  part  of  the  spring  and  for  a  few 
weeks  the  trees  are  bare.  The  tree  may  be  distin- 
guished from  the  live  oak,  which  it  somewhat  re- 
sembles, by  the  absence  of  gray  down  or  fuzz  on  the 
under  side  of  the  leaves. 

The  flowers  which  appear  early  are  distinctly  red. 

The  acorn,  which  matures  at  the  end  of  the  sec- 
ond year,  is  dark  brown  in  color  and  about  half  an 
inch  long.  It  is  enclosed  for  about  a  fourth  of  its 
length  by  a  thin  saucer-shaped  cup  covered  by  thin 
light  red-brown  scales. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  and  coarse-grained.  It 
checks  in  drying  and  is  used  only  for  fuel. 

47 


WHITE  ELM  (American  Elm) 

{Ulmiwi  americana  L.) 

TTHE  famous  shade  tree  of  New  England,  whose 
range,  however,  extends  to  the  Rocky  Mountains 
and  southward  to  Texas.  In  this  State,  however,  it 
is  rather  sparsely  distributed  and  nowhere  common. 
It  reaches  an  average  height  of  60  to  70  feet  and  a 
diameter  of  4  to  5  feet.  The  bark  is  dark  gray, 
divided  into  irregular,  flat-topped,  thick  ridges,  and 

is  generally  firm, 
though  on  old  trees 
it  tends  to  come  off 
in  flakes.  An  in- 
cision into  the  inner 
bark  will  show  alter- 
nate layers  of  brown 
and  white. 

Because  of  its 
spreading  fan-shaped 
form,  graceful  pen- 
dulous branches,  and 
long  life,  the  white 
elm  justly  holds  its 
place  as  one  of  the 
most  desirable  shade 
trees. 


WHITE    EDM 

Twig,  one  half 

natural  size. 

Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 


The  leaves  are  alternate,  simple,  4  to  6  inches  long, 
rather  thick,  somewhat  one-sided,  doubly  toothed 
on  the  margin,  and  generally  smooth  above  and 
downy  below.  The  leaf  veins  are  very  pronounced 
and  run  in  parallel  lines  from  the  midrib  to  leaf- 
edge. 

The  flowers  are  small,  perfect,  greenish,  on  slen- 
der stalks  sometimes  an  inch  long,  appearing  before 
the  leaves  in  very  early  spring.  The  fruit  is  a  light 
green,  oval  shaped  samara  (winged  fruit)  with  the 
seed  portion  in  the  center  and  surrounded  entirely 
by  a  wing.  A  deep  notch  in  the  end  of  the  wing  is 
distinctive  of  the  species.  The  seed  ripens  in  the 
spring  and  by  its  wing  is  widely  disseminated  by 
the  wind. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  tough,  and  diffi- 
cult to  split.  It  is  used  for  hubs  of  wheels,  saddle 
trees,  boats  and  ships,  barrel  hoops,  and  veneer  for 
baskets  and  crates. 

48 


WINGED  ELM 

(Ulmus  alata  Michx.) 

TIIE  winged  elin.  gets  its  common  name  from  the 
thin  corky  growth,  or  "wings,"  usually  found  on 
the  smaller  branches.  It  occurs  scattered  generally 
over  the  State  except  in  the  mountains,  usually  on 
dry,  gravelly  uplands,  but  often  in  moist  soils  and 
in  waste  places.  It  grows  rapidly  in  moist  situa- 
tions, and  at  the  same  time  is  one  of  the  best  trees 
for  planting  along  road- 
sides in  dry  poor  loca- 
tions. It  is  compara- 
tively free  from  disease, 
though  not  notably 
long-lived.  This  elm  is 
a  medium-sized  tree  of 
40  to  50  feet  in  height 
and  rarely  as  large  as 
2  feet  in  diameter.  It 
forms  a  rather  open, 
round-topped  head.  The 
bark  is  light  brown, 
tinged  with  red,  and 
divided  into  irregular 
flat  ridges  and  fissures. 
The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  2  to  4  inches 
long  and  1  to  2  inches  broad,  coarsely  double- 
toothed,  thick,  dark  green  and  smooth  above,  and 
pale  and  softly  downy  below.  They  are  smaller  than 
those  of  any  otlier  elm  native  in  the  State.  The 
flowers  appear  in  early  spring,  long  before  the  leaves 
unfold.  The  fruit  ripens  in  the  spring  about  the 
time  the  leaves  appear;  it  is  winged,  tipped  with  2 
small  incurved  awns,  or  beaks,  oblong,  reddish 
brown,  about  one-third  of  an  inch  long,  with  a  long 
slender  stalk  at  the  base,  and  covered  with  white 
hairs. 

The  wood  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  other  elms 
— heavy,  hard,  strong  and  difficult  to  split.  It  is 
occasionally  used  for  hubs  and  mauls.  Formerly, 
rope  made  of  the  inner  bark  was  used  for  binding 
the  covers  to  cotton  bales. 


WINGED  ELM 
Two-thirds  natural  size. 


49 


>-m^<^> 


SLIPPERY  ELM  (Bed  Elm) 


{Ulmu^  fidva  Michx.) 

•yUE  slippery  elm,  or  red  elm,  occurs  sparingly  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  State.  It  is  found  prin- 
cipally on  the  banks  of  streams  and  on  low  hillsides 
in  rich  soil.  It  is  a  tree  of  small  to  moderate  size, 
but  noticeably  wide-spreading.  It  is  usually  less 
than  40  feet  in  height  and  6  inches  in  diameter, 
although  trees  of  larger  dimensions  are  occasionally 
found. 

The  bark  on  the  trunk  is  frequently  1  inch  thick. 


SLIPPERY   ELiM 
Twig,    one-half   natural    size. 
Leaf,   one-third    natural    size. 


dark  grayish  brown,  and  broken  by  shallow  fissures 
into  flat  ridges.  The  inner  bark  is  used  to  some  ex- 
tent for  medicinal  purposes,  as  it  is  fragrant  and, 
when  chewed,  affords  a  slippery,  mucilaginous  sub- 
stance, whence  the  tree  gets  its  name. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate  on  the  stem,  4  Lo 
6  inches  in  length,  sharp-pointed,  their  bases  un- 
symmetrical,  doubly-toothed  on  the  edges,  thick, 
dark  green,  and  rough  on  both  sides. 

The  fruit  consists  of  a  seed  surrounded  by  a  thin, 
broad,  greenish  wing,  about  one-half  an  inch  in 
diameter;  the  flowers  appear  in  early  spring  and 
the  fruit  ripens  when  the  leaves  are  about  half- 
grown. 

The  wood  is  close-grained,  tough,  strong,  heavy, 
hard,  moderately  durable  in  contact  with  the  soil. 
It  is  used  for  fence-posts,  crossties,  agricultural  im- 
plements, ribs  for  small  boats  and  for  some  other 
purposes. 

50 


^•m=><^i^ 


HACKBERRY 

{Celtis  occidcntalis  L.) 

'T'lIE  hackberry  is  found  sparsely  throughout  the 
State,  except  in  the  high  mountains.  It  oocurs 
most  abundantly  and  of  greatest  size  in  the  rich 
alluvial  lands  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  but 
thrives,  however,  on  various  types  of  soil,  from  the 
poorest  to  the  richest.  It  is  usually  a  small  or 
medium-sized  tree  from  30  to  50  feet  high  and  10 
to  20  inches  in  diam- 
eter. Its  limbs  are 
often  crooked  and 
angular  and  bear  a 
head  made  of  slender 
pendant  branches  or 
short,  bristly,  stubby 
twigs.  In  the  open  the 
crown  is  generally  very 
symmetrical.  It  makes 
an  excellent  shade  tree. 
The  bark  is  grayish 
and  generally  rough 
with  scale-like  or  warty 
projections  of  dead 
bark.  In  some  instances 
the  bark  is  smooth 
enough  on  the  limbs  to 
resemble  that  of  the 
beech. 

The  leaves  are  simple, 
ovate,     alternate,     one- 
sided,   2    to    4    inches 
long,  the  edges  toothed 
toward  the  long  point. 

The  flowers  are  inconspicuous,  and  the  two  kinds 
are  borne  on  the  same  tree.  They  appear  in  April  or 
May,  and  are  of  a  creamy  greenish  color.  The  fruit 
is  a  round,  somewhat  oblong  drupe,  or  berry,  from 
one-quarter  to  one-third  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  It 
has  a  thin,  purplish  skin,  and  sweet,  yellowish  flesh. 
Prom  this  characteristic  it  is  sometimes  called 
sugarberry.  The  berries  frequently  hang  on  the 
tree  most  of  the  winter. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  rather  soft,  weak,  and  decays 
readily  when  exposed.  It  is  used  chiefly  for  fuel, 
but  occasionally  for  lumber. 


Leaf,  one-third  uutural  size. 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 


51 


-e>-f^<;^- 


-^>  -^^<J3^— s  -e>  • 


RED  MULBERRY 

{Morns  rubra  L.) 

THE  red  mulberry  occurs  throughout  the  State. 
It  prefers  rich  soils  and  is  nowhere  abundant.  It 
is  commonly  called  mulberry  as  there  are  no  other 
native  species.  The  white  mulberry  and  paper  mul- 
berry, which  are  sometimes  found  in  waste  places, 
are  introduced  species  which  have  to  some  extent 
become  naturalized.     The  red  mulberry  is  a  small 


RED   MULBERRY 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 

tree,  rarely  50  feet  high  and  2  feet  in  diameter,  often 
growing  in  the  shade  of  larger  trees. 

The  bark  is  rather  thin,  dark  grayish  brown,  peel- 
ing off  in  long  narrow  flakes. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  thin,  rounded  or  some- 
what heart-shaped,  toothed,  pointed,  3  to  5  inches 
long,  rough  hairy  above  and  soft  hairy  beneath. 
Often  some  of  the  leaves,  especially  on  young  trees 
and  thrifty  shoots,  are  mitten-shaped  or  variously 
lobed. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds,  on  the  same  or  dif- 
ferent trees,  in  long  drooping  catkins,  the  female 
catkins  shorter,  appearing  with  the  leaves.  The 
fruit  is  dark  red  or  black,  and  resembles  a  black- 
berry; however,  a  stalk  extends  through  it  centrally, 
and  it  is  longer  and  narrower.  The  fruit  is  sweet 
and  edible  and  greatly  relished  by  birds  and  various 
animals. 

The  wood  is  rather  light,  soft,  not  strong,  light 
orange-yellow,  and  very  durable  in  contact  with  the 
soil.  It  is  chiefly  used  for  fence  posts.  The  tree 
might  be  planted  for  this  purpose  and  to  furnish 
food  for  birds. 

52 


<J5t>- 


-e>  -#^<Kj:^-^  -e>  f^«j^-e  -e>  -#^<k?:^-^  -e>  •^^<^-e 


CUCUMBER  TREE 

{Magnolia  acuniinaia  L.) 
THE  cucumber  tree  attains  an  average  height  of 
60  to  80  feet  and  a  diameter  of  2  to  4  feet.  It 
occurs  singly  among  other  hardwood  trees  through- 
out the  richer,  cooler  slopes  and  coves  of  our  moun- 
tains, and  extends  somewhat  into  the  nearby  regions. 
This  is  the  only  one  of  our  magnolias  which  lias 
rough  bark  and  a  small  leaf. 

The  bark 
is  aromatic 
andbitter ; 
that  of  the 
young 
twigs  is  a 
1  u  s  t  r  0  u  s 
red-brown, 
while  the 
bark  of 
the  trunk 
i  s  rather 
thin,  dark 
brown, 
f  u  rrowed 
and  broken 
into  thin 
scales. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  oblong,  short-pointed, 
rounded  at  the  base,  silky  hairy  when  unfolding, 
later  smooth  or  slightly  silky,  6  to  10  inches  long, 
4  to  6  inches  wide,  often  with  wavy  edges,  dark 
green  above,  lighter  beneath. 

The  flowers  are  single,  large — though  smaller  than 
those  of  the  other  magnolias — 2i/2  to  3  inches  long. 
The  6  upright  petals  are  whitish  green,  tinged  with 
yellow.  The  fruit  is  a  smooth,  dark-red,  often 
crooked  "cone,"  21/0  to  3  inches  long,  somewhat 
resembling  a  small  cucumber.  The  seeds  are  one- 
half  inch  long,  and  covered  with  a  pulpy  scarlet 
coat,  which  attracts  the  birds,  particularly  as  the 
seeds  liang  by  thin  cords  from  tlie  opening  "cones."' 
The  wood  is  light,  soft,  close-grained,  durable, 
of  a  light  yellow-brown  color.  It  is  cut  and  u.'^ed 
extensively  along  with  yellow  poplar  for  cabinet 
and  carriage  making,  and  other  similar  uses.  Be- 
sides being  a  valuable  timber  tree,  it  is  quite  de- 
sirable for  roadside  and  ornamental  planting. 

53 


CrOTTMRER   TREE 

Leaf,   one-third   natural    size. 

Twiy,  two-tliiicls  natural  size. 


-e> -#^<i$|3.- 


MOUNTAIN  MAGNOLIA 

{Magnolia  fraseri  Walt.) 
T^HE  mountain  magnolia,  sometimes  locally  known 
as  wahoo,  is  a  small  tree,  30  to  40  feet  high, 
with  a  straight,  leaning,  or  divided  trunk,  9  to 
18  inches  in  diameter  and  has  wide-spreading, 
rather  brittle  branches.  It  is  found  in  the  rich 
coves  and  on  the  cool  slopes  of  the  southern  Appa- 
lachian Mountains  at  elevations  from  2,000  to  4,000 

feet. 

The  bark  is 
usually  smooth 
a  n  d  grayish 
brown.  The 
terminal  w  i  n- 
ter  buds  are 
smooth,  purple, 
ly^  to  2  inches 
long. 

The  leaves 
are  distinctive, 
being  oblong, 
with  the  lower 
end  narrowed 
and  "auricled" 
{i.  6.,  h  a  v  i  n  g 
lobes  like  ears) 
at  the  base. 
They  are 
smooth,  10  to 
12  inches  long, 
crowded  at  Lae 
ends  of  the 
twisrs.  and  drop 
0  f  f  i  n  the 
autumn.  The 
flowers  are 
white,  fragranc, 
8  to  10  inches  wide,  and  "perfect"  {i.  e.,  having 
stamens  and  pistils  in  the  same  flower.) 

The  fruit  at  maturity  is  red  and  shaped  like  a 
cucumber,  4  to  5  inches  long,  bearing  many  scar- 
let seeds,  each  in  a  carpel,  or  cell,  on  which  is  a 
long  stiff  point. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  weak  and  easily  worked. 
It  is  only  occasionally  used  for  lumber  or  pulp- 
wood,  in  places  where  practically  all  species  are 
being  cut. 

The  tree  is  occasionally  planted  for  ornamental 
purposes,  but  it  is  said  to  be  less  hardy  than  the 
other  magnolias. 

54 


MOtrMTAlN    MAGNOLIA 
I.*af,    one-third    naturul    size. 
Twig,  two-thirds  naturul  size. 


cJissj-s-e>-^^ 


MAGNOLIA  (Evergreen  Magnolia) 

{Magnolia  grandiflora  L.) 
TTHE  magnolia  or  evergreen  magnolia  is  one  of  the 
best-known  trees  in  the  State.  No  other  tree  in 
our  forest  excells  it  in  the  combined  beauty  of  the 
leaves  and  the  flowers.  Occurring  naturally  in  the 
rich  moist  soil  on  the  borders  of  river  .swamps  and 
pine-barren  ponds  and  near-by  uplands  in  the 
Coastal  Plain,  it  has  been  widely  cultivated  for  its 


MAGNOLIA 
Leaf,   one-fourth   natural  size. 
Twig,   one-half   natural    size. 

ornamental  value.  In  its  natural  habitat,  it  attains 
heights  generally  of  60  to  80  feet  and  diameters  of 
the  trunk  up  to  4  feet.  The  dense  pyramidal  head,  or 
crown,  is  made  up  of  numerous  small  spreading 
branches  and  branchlets. 

The  bark  is  gray  to  light  brown.  The  leaves  are 
evergreen,  thick,  leathery,  elliptical  or  oval,  dark 
green  and  shiny  above,  rusty  or  silvery  beneath,  and 
mostly  from  5  to  8  inches  long  and  2  to  3  inches 
wide,  with  prominent  midribs.  They  remain  on  the 
tree  for  about  2  years. 

The  large  handsome  flowers  appear  at  intervals 
during  the  summer.  They  are  very  attractive  with 
their  large  pure  white  petals  surrounding  a  splash 
of  bright  purple  in  the  center  (from  the  stamens) 
and  their  pleasing  fragrance.  The  "sweet  mag- 
nolia" of  the  South  well  deserves  the  place  given  it 
in  story  and  song. 

The  fruit  consists  of  a  rounded  or  oval  head  from 
3  to  4  inches  long  containing  many  seeds,  each  en- 
closed in  a  sheath.  These  open  in  the  fall  and  dis- 
play the  bright  red  "berries"  dangling  on  slender 
threads. 

The  wood  is  moderately  heavy  ;uid  hard,  and  o?  a 
creamy  color.  It  is  used  .somewhat  for  omamentAj 
purposes,  and  considerably  as  firewood. 

65 


FOREST  nr'REC^S 

YELLOW  POPLAR,  OR  TULIP  TREE 

{Ldriodcndron  tidipifera  L.) 
VELLOW  POPLAR,  or  tulip  tree,  received  its 
names  from  the  yellow  color  of  its  heartwood 
and  its  attractive  tulip-like  flowers.  It  is  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  valuable  hardwood  trees  of 
the  United  States.  It  occurs  commonly  throughout 
the  State,  but  reaches  its  largest  size  in  the  deep 
moist  soils  along  streams  and  in  the  lower  moun- 


YELLOW  POPI/AJR 
Leaf,   one-third   natural   size. 


Twig,  two-thirds 
natural  size. 


tain  coves.  As  more  commonly  seen,  it  has  a  height 
of  60  to  100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  3  to  4  feet.  Origi- 
nal-growth trees,  however,  attain  heights  of  150  to 
190  feet  and  diameters  up  to  10  feet.  Growing  with 
a  straight  central  trunk  like  the  pines,  and  often 
clear  of  limbs  for  30  to  50  feet,  it  has  a  narrow 
pyramidal  head  which  in  older  age  becomes  more 
spreading.  The  tree  has  been  extensively  cut,  but 
is  reproducing  rapidly  and  remains  one  of  the  most 
abundant  and  valuable  trees  in  our  young  second- 
growth  forests.  It  has  been  planted  as  an  orna- 
mental and  shade  tree. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  4  to  6  inches  in  length  and 
breadth,  4-lobed,  dark  green  in  summer,  turning 
to  a  clear  yellow  in  the  fall. 

The  greenish-yellow  tulip-shaped  flowers  appear 
in  April.  The  fruit  is  a  narrow  light-brown,  upright 
■cone,  2  to  3  inches  long,  made  up  of  seeds,  each  en- 
closed in  a  hard  bony  coat  and  provided  with  a 
wing  which  makes  it  easily  carried  by  the  wind. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  easily  worked,  light  yel- 
low or  brown,  with  wide  cream-colored  sapwood. 
It  is  extensively  cut  into  lumber  for  interior  and 
exterior  trim,  vehicle  bodies,  veneers,  turnery  and 
other  high-grade  uses. 

56 


SJ^- 


SASSAFRAS 

{Sassafras  officinale  N.  and  E.) 

THE  sassafras  is  a  small,  aromatic  tree,  usually 
not  over  40  feet  in  height  or  a  foot  in  diameter. 
It  is  common  throughout  the  State  on  dry  soils, 
except  in  the  higher  mountains,  and  is  one  of  the 
first  broad-leaf  trees  to  come  up  on  abandoned  fields, 
where  the  seeds  are  dropped  by  birds.  It  is  closely 
related  to  the  camphor  tree  of  Japan.    The  bark  of 


SAiSSsAFRAS 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third   natural  size. 

the  trunt  is  thick,  red-brown  and  deeply  furrowed 
and  that  of  the  twigs  is  bright  green. 

The  leaves  are  very  characteristic.  It  is  one  of  the 
few  trees  having  leaves  of  widely  different  shape  on 
the  same  tree,  or  even  on  the  same  twig.  Some  are 
oval  and  entire,  4  to  6  inches  long;  others  have  one 
lobe,  resembling  the  thumb  on  a  mitten;  while  still 
others  are  divided  at  the  outer  end  into  3  distinct 
lobes.  The  young  leaves  and  twigs  are  quite  mu- 
cilaginous. 

The  flowers  are  clustered,  greenish,  yellow,  and 
open  with  the  first  unfolding  of  the  leaves.  The  male 
and  female  fiowers  are  usually  on  different  trees. 
The  fruit  is  an  oblong,  dark  blue  or  black,  lustrous 
berry,  containing  one  seed  and  surrounded  at  the 
base  by  what  appears  to  be  a  small  orange-red  or 
scarlet  cup  at  the  end  of  a  scarlet  stalk. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  weak,  brittle,  and  durable 
in  the  soil;  the  heartwood  is  dull  orange-brown.  It 
is  used  for  po.sts,  rails,  boat-building,  cooperage  and 
for  ox-yokes.  The  bark  of  the  roots  yields  the  very 
aromatic  oil  of  sassafras  much  used  for  flavoruig 
candies  and  various  commercial  products. 

57 


■^-fl^<J?^- 


SWEET  GUM  (Red  Gum) 

{Ldquidamhar  stryadflua  L.) 

"THE  sweet  gum  is  a  large  valuable  forest  tree.  It 
occurs  on  rich  river  bottoms  and  in  swamps  sub- 
ject to  frequent  overflow,  as  well  as  on  drier  uplands 
throughout  the  middle  and  lower  parts  of  the  State. 
It  is  usually  abundant  in  second  growth  on  old  fields 
and  in  cut-over  woods.  The  bark  is  a  light  gray, 
roughened  by  corky  scales,  later  becoming  deeply 
furrowed.  After  the  second  year  the 
twigs  often  develop  2  to  4  corky  pro- 
jections of  the  bark,  Avhich 
gives  them  a 
winged  a  p- 
pearance. 

The  simple, 
alternate 
star  -  shaped 
leaf,  with  its 
5  to  7  points 
or  lobes,  is 
5  to  7  inches 
across  and 
very  a  r  o- 
matic.  In  tlie 
fall  its 
coloring  i  s 
brilliant, 
ranging  from 
red    to    a    deep 


.SWEET  GUM 
Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


through    orange    and 


pale    yellow 
bronze. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree, 
unfolding  with  the  leaves.  The  fruit  at  first  glance 
reminds  one  of  the  balls  of  the  sycamore,  but  on 
closer  inspection  proves  to  be  a  head.  It  meas- 
ures an  inch  or  more  in  diameter  and  is  made  up  of 
many  capsules  with  projecting  spines.  It  fre- 
quently hangs  on  the  tree  by  its  long  swinging 
stem  late  into  the  winter. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  moderately  hard,  close- 
grained,  and  not  durable  on  exposure.  The  reddi.sh 
brown  heartwood,  which  suggests  the  name  red  gum, 
is  not  present  to  any  appreciable  extent  in  logs 
under  16  inches  in  diameter.  The  wood  is  exten- 
sively used  for  flooring,  interior  finish,  paper  pulp 
and  veneers  for  baskets  of  all  kinds.  Veneers  of 
the  heartwood  are  largely  used  in  furniture,  some- 
times as  imitation  maht>gany  or  Circassian  walnut. 
This  tree  should  be  more  widely  planted  for  orna- 
mental use. 

58 


'«j:^-^-e> 


-e>  -^^<jc^-s  -e>  -^^<xj^-« 


SYCAMORE 

{Plutanus  occidcntalis  L.) 

THE  sycamore,  also  called  buttonwood,  is  con- 
sidered the  largest  hardwood  tree  in  North 
America.  It  occurs  throughout  the  State  but  is 
most  abundant  and  readies  its  largest  size  along 
streams  and  on  rich  bottomhmds.  It  is  one  of  the 
more  rapid-growing  trees.  In  maturity  it  occasion- 
ally attains  a  height  of  140  to  170  feet  and  a  diame- 

eter  of  10 
to  11  feet. 
It  often 
forks  into 
several 
large  sec- 
0  n  d  a  r  y 
trunks, 
and  the 
m  a  s  s  i  ve 
spread- 
ing  limb« 
form  an 
open  head 
s  ometimes 
100  feet 
across. 

The  bark 
of  the  .syc- 
On  the  younger 
trunk  and  large  limbs  it  is  very  smooth,  greenish 
gray  in  color.  The  outer  bark  yearly  flakes  off  in 
large*  patches  and  exposes  the  nearly  white  bark. 
Near  the  base  of  old  trees  the  bark  becomes  thick, 
dark  brown  and  divided  by  deep  furrows. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  4  to  7  inche& 
long  and  about  as  broad,  light  green  and  smooth 
above,  and  paler  below.  The  base  of  the  leafstalk  is 
hollow  and  in  falling  off  exposes  the  winter  bud. 
The  fruit  is  a  ball  about  1  inch  in  diameter,  con- 
spicuous throughout  the  winter  as  it  hangs  on  its 
flexible  stem,  which  is  3  to  5  inches  long.  During 
early  spring  the  fruit  ball  breaks  up,  and  the  small 
seeds  are  widely  scattered  by  the  wind. 

The  wood  is  hard  and  moderately  strong,  but 
decays  rapidly  in  the  ground.  It  is  used  for 
butchers'  blocks,  tobacco  boxes,  furniture  and  in- 
terior finish. 

The  European  sycamore,  or  planetree,  is  less  sub- 
ject to  disea.se  than  our  species  and  has  been  widely 
planted  m  this  country  for  ornament  and  shade. 

59 


SYCAMORE 

T-wig,  one-hnlf  Leaf,  one-third 

natural  size.  natural  size. 

amore  is  a  characteristic  feature. 


^> 


-c5:§>-^  -e> 


SERVICE-BERRY,  OR  SERVICE-TREE 

{Amelanchier  canadensis  Medic.) 

THE  service-tree,  also  known  as  service-berry  and 
locally  as  "sarvis,"  is  found  throughout  the  State 
but  attains  its  best  development  on  the  mountain 
slopes.  It  is  a  small  tree,  20  to  50  feet  high  and 
6  to  18  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  rather  narrow, 
rounded  top,  but  is  often  little  more  than  a  shrub. 
The  bark  is  thin,  ashy  gray,  smooth  on  the  branches 
and  upper  part  of  the  stem,  and  breaking  into  shal- 
low fissures  on  the 
short  trunk. 

The  leaves  are  alter- 
nate, slender  -  stalked, 
ovate,  pointed,  finely 
toothed,  2  to  4  inches 
long,  purplish  brown 
until  nearly  mature, 
then  becoming  a  light 
green,  and  early  cov- 
er e  d  with  scattered 
silky  hairs. 

The  white  flowers  ap- 
pear in  erect  or  droop- 
ing   clusters    in    early 
spring,   before   or  with 
the  leaves,  making  the  tree  quite  conspicuous  in  the 
leafless  or  budding  forest. 

The  fruit  is  sweet,  edible,  rounded,  dark  purple 
when  ripe,  one-third  to  one-half  an  inch  in  diame- 
ter, ripening  early  in  June.  Birds  and  other  deni- 
zens of  the  forest  are  very  fond  of  the  fruit,  and 
men  have  been  known  to  cut  down  and  destroy 
the  trees  to  gather  one  good  crop  of  fruit. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  exceedingly  hard,  stnong, 
close-grained  and  dark  brown.  It  is  occasionally 
used  for  handles.  This  is  a  desirable  ornamental 
tree  and  should  be  planted  for  this  purpose  and 
to  encourage  the  birds. 


SERVICE-BERRY,  OR 

SERVICE-TREE 
One-half  natural  size. 


60 


•o-*^<«^ 


HAWTHORN  (Haw,  White  Haw,  Red  Haw, 
Thorn  Bush) 

(Crataegus  species) 
TTHE  hawthorn,  as  here  treated,  represents  a  con- 
siderable number  of  different  species  and  va- 
rieties distributed  throughout  the  State.  Members 
of  the  group  occur  on  the  poorest  and  richest  soils, 
on  the  shallowest  and  deepest,  and  on  the  lime- 
stone hills  as  well  as  on  the  rich  bottom  and  swamp 
land.     Most  of  the  forms  have  a  common  likeness 


HAWTHORN 
Two-thirdB  natural  size. 


in  possessing  thorns  and  bearing  white  blossoms 
and  red  or  yellow  fruit.  Some  species  are  planted 
as  ornamental  trees,  but  otherwise  the  group  is  of 
little  commercial  value. 

The  bark  is  generally  thin,  gray  in  color,  and  on 
the  old  stems  broken  up  into  thin,  narrow  scales. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  mostly  oval  or 
wedge-shaped,  notched  on  the  edges,  and  usually 
from  2  to  3  inches  long. 

The  flowers  are  white,  some  fragrant  and  others 
with  a  slightly  unpleasant  odor;  they  appear  in  early 
spring.  Tlic  fruit  varies  from  globular  to  oblong, 
from  one-fourtli  to  tliree-fourths  inch  in  diameter; 
some  when  ripe  have  a  pulpy,  sweet,  edible  flesh,  sur- 
rounding from  1  to  5  bony  seeds.  The  fruit  of  most 
species  ripens  in  the  fall,  and  one  or  two  varieties 
yield  a  fruit  highly  prized  for  making  jelly. 

The  wood  is  .strong,  tough,  heavy,  hard,  but  rarely 
used  for  any  purpose. 

61 


&-m=><^- 


^-«%1 


BLACK  CHERRY  (Wild  Cherry) 

{Prunus  serotina  Erh.) 

A  medium-sized  tree,  up  to  about  70  feet  high 
and  1  to  3  feet  in  diameter,  black  cherry  as  a 
tree  is  at  its  best  in  the  high  mountains.  The  forest- 
grewn  trees  have  long  clear  trunks  with  little  taper ; 
open-grown  trees  have  short  trunks  with  many 
branches  and  irregular  spreading  crowns.  The  bark 
on  branches  and  young  trunks  is  smooth  and  bright 


BLACK  CHERRY 

Twig,  two-thirds  natural    si/t. 

Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 

reddish  brown,  marked  by  conspicuous,  narrow, 
white,  horizontal  lines,  and  has  a  bitter-almond 
taste.  On  the  older  trunks  the  bark  becomes  rough 
and  broken  into  thick,  irregular  plates. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  simple,  oval  to  lance-like 
in  shape,  with  edges  broken  by  many  fine  incurved 
teeth,  thick  and  shiny  above,  and  paler  beneath. 

The  fruit  is  dull  purplish  black,  about  as  large 
as  a  pea,  and  is  borne  in  long  hanging  clusters. 
It  ripens  in  late  summer,  and  is  edible,  although 
it  ha»s  a  slightly  bitter  taste. 

The  wood  is  reddish  brown  with  yellowish  sap- 
wood,  moderately  heavy,  hard,  strong,  fine-grained, 
and  does  not  warp  or  split  in  seasoning.  It  is 
valuable  for  its  lustre  and  color  and  is  used  for 
furniture,  interior  finish,  tools,  and  implement  han- 
dles. With  tjhe  exception  of  black  walnut,  the 
cherry  lumber  has  a  greater  unit  value  than  any 
other  hardwood  of  the  eastern  United  States. 


62 


HONEY  LOCUST 

{Gleditsia  triacanthos  L.) 

TTHE  honey  locust  occurs  scattered  througliout 
the  State  except  high  in  the  mountains.  It  grows 
under  a  wide  variety  of  soil  and  moisture  condi- 
tions. It  sometimes  occurs  in  the  forest,  but  more 
commonly  in  corners  and  waste  places  beside  roads 
and  fields.  It  reaches  a  diameter  of  30  inches  and 
a  height  of  75  feet.     The  bark  on  old  trees  is  dark 

gray  and  is 
divided  into 
thin  tight 
scales.  The 
strong 
thorns  — 
straight, 
brown, 
b  r  a  n  c  hed, 
sharp  and 
shiny  which 
grow  on  the 
1  -  year  -  old 
wood  and  re- 
m  a  i  n  for 
many  years 
— a  r  e  suffi- 
cient to  iden- 
t  i  f  y  the 
honey  locust. 
The  leaf  is 
pinnate,  o  r 
feather  -  like, 
with  18  to  28  leaflets;  or  it  is  twice-pinnate,  con- 
sisting of  4  to  7  pairs  of  pinnate  or  secondary  leaf- 
lets, each  6  to  8  inches  long  and  somewhat  resem- 
bling the  leaf  of  the  black  locust. 

The  fruit  is  a  pod,  10  to  18  inches  long,  often 
twisted,  1  to  IV2  inches  wide,  flat,  dark  brown  or 
black  when  ripe  and  containing  yellow  sweetish 
pulp  and  seeds.  The  seeds  are  very  hard  and  each 
is  separated  from  the  others  by  the  pulp.  The 
pods  are  eaten  by  many  animals,  and  as  the  seeds 
are  hard  to  digest,  many  are  thus  widely  scattered 
from  the  parent  tree. 

The  wood  is  coarse-grained,  hard,  strong  and 
moderately  durable  in  contact  with  the  ground. 
It  is  used  for  fence  posts  and  crossties.  It  should 
not  be  confused  with  the  very  durable  wood  of  the 
black  locust. 

63 


HONKY  LOCUST 

Twig,  three-quarters  natural  size. 

Leaf,  one-quarter  natural  size. 


^e>' 


BLACK  LOCUST  (YeUow  Locust) 

{Robinia  pseiidacacia  L.) 

THE  black  locust  occurs  throughout  the  northern 
half  of  the  State  and  in  all  soils  and  conditions  of 
moisture  except  in  swamps.  It  is  found  as  a  forest 
tree  only  in  the  mountains,  where  it  attains  a  height 
of  80  to  100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  30  inches. 
Throughout  the  other  sections  of  the  State  it  occurs 
generally  in  thickets  on  clay  banks  or  waste  places, 

or  singly  along  fence 
rows.  The  twigs  and 
branchlets  are  armed 
with  straight  o  r 
slightly  curved 
sharp,  strong  spines, 
sometimes  as  much 
as  1  inch  in  length 
which  remain  attach- 
ed to  the  outer  bark 
for  many  years.  The 
bark  is  dark  brown 
and  divides  into 
strips  as  the  tree 
grows  older. 

The  leaves  are  pin- 
nate, or  feather-like, 
from  6  to  10  inches 
in  length  consisting 
of  from  7  to  19  ob- 
long thin  leaflets. 

The  flowers  are 
fragrant,  white  or 
cream-colored,  and 
appear  i  n  early 
spring  in  graceful 
pendant  racemes. 
The  fruit  is  a  pod 
from  3  to  5  inches  long  containing  4  to  8  small  hard 
seeds  which  ripen  late  in  the  fall.  The  pod  splits 
open  during  the  winter,  discharging  the  seeds.  Some 
seeds  usually  remain  attached  to  each  half  of  the 
pod,  and  this  acts  as  a  wing  upon  which  the  seeds 
are  borne  to  considerable  distances  before  the  strong 
.spring  winds. 

The  wood  is  yellow  in  color,  coarse-grained,  very 
heavy,  very  hard,  strong,  and  very  durable  in  con- 
tact with  the  soil.  It  is  used  extensively  for  fence 
posts,  poles,  tree  nails,  insulator  pins  and  occasion- 
ally for  lumber  and  fuel. 


BLACK  LOCUST 

Leaf,   one-third   natural   sizo. 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


64 


^- 


■e>-#^<?^- 


HOLLY 

{Ilex  opaca  Ait.) 

nrilE  holly  occurs  sparingly  scattered  throughout 
the  State.  It  prefers  a  rich  moist  soil,  but  is 
also  found  on  the  higher  and  drier  situations.  It 
is  much  less  abundant  now  than  formerly,  due  to 
the  large  amount  gathered  and  shipped  to  the  cities 
for  Christmas  decorations. 

It  is  a  small  evergreen  tree,  seldom  exceeding  30 
feet  in  height  and  12  inches  in  diameter.  The 
bark  is  light  gray  and 
roughened  by  wart-like 
growths.  The  numerous 
short,  slender  branches 
form  a  dense,  narrow 
pyramidal  head  of  strik- 
ing dark-  green  col'^r 
effect,  especially  when 
well  laden  with  the  con- 
spicuous red  berries. 

The   leaves   are   simple, 

alternate,  oval,  thick  and 

leathery,    2    to    4    inches 

long,     and     armed     with 

spiny   teeth ;   they  persist 

on  the  branches  for  about 

three     years,     then     they 

drop  off  in  the  spring. 

The  flowers  are  small,  whitish  and  inconspicuous; 

the  male  and  female  flowers  are  usually  borne  on 

separate  trees. 

The  fruit,  which  ripens  late  in  the  fall  and  per- 
sists on  the  branches  over  the  winter,  is  a  dull 
red  or  sometimes  yellow,  nearly  round  berry,  about 
one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter  containing  4 
to  6  ribbed  nutlets. 

The  wood  is  light,  tough,  not  strong,  and  nearly 
white.  It  is  valued  and  much  used  for  cabinet 
work  and  wood-turning.  For  this  purpose  many 
of  the  larger,  finer  trees  have  been  cut  and  mar- 
keted. 


HOLiLY 

Two-thirds  natural  size. 


65 


•e>-#^-33^- 


ST  XI 


^S>-#^<?:^^-^- 


REDBUD 


(Cercis  canadensis  L.) 
TTHE  redbud,  sometimes  called  Judas-tree  from  its 
oriental  relative  of  that  name,  is  a  small  tree 
occurring  under  taller  trees  or  on  the  borders  of 
fields  on  hillsides,  and  in  valleys  throughout  the 
State.  It  ordinarily  attains  a  height  of  25  to  50  feet 
and  a  diameter  of  six  to  twelve  inches.  Its  stout 
branches  usually  form  a  wide  flat  head. 


REDBUD 

Leaf,   one-flfth   natural   size. 

Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 

The  bark  is  bright  red-brown,  the  long  narrow 
plates  separating  into  thin  scales. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  heart-shaped,  entire,  3  to 
5  inches  long  and  wide,  glossy  green  turning  in 
autumn  to  a  bright  clear  yellow. 

The  con.spicuous,  bright  purplish  red,  pea-.shaped 
flowers  are  in  numerous  clusters  along  the  twigs  and 
small  branches  and  appear  before  or  with  the  leaves 
in  early  spring.  With  the  redbud  in  it.'?  full  glory, 
a  drive  through  the  country  is  likely  to  be  one  long 
remembered. 

The  fruit  is  an  oblong,  flattened,  many-seeded  pod, 
2  to  4  inches  long,  reddish  during  the  summer,  and 
often  hanging  on  the  tree  most  of  the  winter. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  not  strong,  rich  dark 
brown  in  color,  and  of  little  commercial  importance. 
The  redbud  is  cultivated  as  an  ornamental  tree  and 
for  that  purpose  might  be  planted  more  generally  in 
this  State. 

66 


■^•m><^^-> 


CLtH. 


WHITEBARK  MAPLE 

{Acer  leucodenne  Small.) 

TIIK  whitobark  raaplo  is  a  common  tree  of  the 
l*i('dmoiit  section  of  (leorgia.  It  occurs  along: 
banks  of  streams,  in  rocky  gorjjes,  and  in  tliick  moist 
woods,  where  it  does  well  under  the  shade  of  the 
larger  trees.  It  generally  attains  a  height  of  20  to 
25  feet  and  a  diameter  of  one  foot,  but  exceptional 

trees  m  a  y 
J'  e  a  c  h  a 
height  of  40 
feet  and  a 
diameter  of 
18  to  20 
inches.  The 
b  r  a  n  c  hcs 
are  short 
and  slender, 
forming  a 
rather  com- 
pact round- 
topped 
c  r  0  w  n. 
Thi.>  maple 
i  s  planted 
to  some  ex- 
t  e  n  t  as  a 
ti-ee  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State. 

The  bark  on  young  trees  and  on  the  branches  is 
close  and  light  gray,  near  the  base  of  old  trees  be- 
coming dark  brown  and  broken  by  deep  furrows. 

The  leaves  are  mostly  from  2  to  3  inches  across, 
more  or  less  deeply  divided  into  3  to  5  pointed, 
coarsely-toothed  lobes.  They  are  thin  and  dark  yel- 
low-green above,  and  lighter  and  slightly  downy 
on  the  under  surface.  In  the  autumn  they  fre- 
quently turn  bright  scarlet  before  they  fall. 

The  flowers  are  yellow  and  are  borne  on  long 
thread-like  stalks.  They  do  not  appear  until  late  in 
the  spring  when  the  trees  are  in  full  leaf.  The  fruit 
ripens  late  in  the  fall  and,  like  the  other  maples,  is  a 
two-winged  "samara"  or  "key,"  the  wings  wide- 
spreading  and  each  from  one-half  to  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  long.  The  seeds  are  enclosed  at  the  base  of 
the  wing  and  are  smooth  and  reddish  brown. 

A  close  relative  of  the  sugar  maple,  the  wood  re- 
sembles that  of  the  latter  tree  very  closely  and  is 
hard,  strong,  close-grained  and  tough.  Because  of 
the  small  size  of  the  tree  it  is  used  mostlv  for  fuel. 


WHITEBARK  JIAI^LE 

One-half  natural  size. 


■^-m^^^' 


RED  MAPLE 

{Acer  ruhrum  L.) 

TTHE  red  maple,  or  swamp  maple,  is  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  State.  It  is  usually  a 
medium-sized  tree,  quick-growing  and  relatively 
short-lived.  It  is  used  as  a  shade  tree,  though  much 
inferior  for  this  purpose  to  the  other  maples,  espe- 
cially the  sugar  maple.  The  bark  is  smooth  and 
light  gray  on  young  stems,  and  dark  gray  and  rough 
on  the  limbs  and  trunk. 


RED  JIAPLE 
Leaf,   one-third    natural   size, 
twig,  one-half  natural  size. 

The  leaves  are  2  to  5  inches  long  and  have  from 
3  to  5  pointed,  saw-toothed  lobes,  which  are  sepa- 
rated by  sharp  angular  sinuses  or  openings.  The 
upper  surface  when  mature  is  light  green  and  the 
lower  surface  whitish  and  partly  covered  with  pale 
down.  In  autumn  the  leaves  turn  to  brilliant  shades 
of  red,  orange  and  yellow. 

The  red  flowers  in  dense  clusters  appear  in  early 
spring  before  the  leaves,  the  buds  turning  a  deep 
red  sometimes  before  they  open.  The  winter  buds 
are  small,  red  and  round  or  blunt-pointed.  The 
fruit  ripens  in  late  spring  or  early  summer.  It 
consists  of  pairs  of  winged  seeds,  or  keys,  one-half 
to  1  inch  in  length,  on  long  drooping  stems,  red, 
reddish  brown  or  yellow  in  color. 

The  wood,  which  is  commercially  known  as  soft 
maple,  is  heavy,  close-grained,  rather  weak  and  of 
a  light-brown  color.  It  is  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  furniture,  and  for  turnery,  woodenware,  and  also 
for  fuel. 

68 


<^- 


SILVER  MAPLE 

{Acer  sacchannum  L.) 

T'HE  silver  or  soft  maple  occurs  rarely  except 
on  moist  land  and  along  streams.  It  attains 
heights  of  100  feet  or  more  and  diameters  of  3  feet 
or  over.  It  usually  has  a  short  trunk  which  divides 
into  a  number  of  large  ascending  limbs.  These 
again  subdivide,  and  the  small  branches  droop  but 
turn  upward  at  the  tips.    The  bark  on  the  old  stems 


SILVER  MAPLE 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third   natural   size. 

is  dark  gray  and  broken  into  long  flakes  or  scales ; 
on  the  young  shoots,  it  is  smooth  and  varies  in 
color  from  reddish  to  a  yellowish  gray.  The  silver 
maple  grows  rapidly  and  has  been  much  planted 
as  a  shade  tree,  but  is  less  desirable  than  many 
other  trees  because  of  its  brittleness  and  suscepti- 
bility to  insects  and  fungous  diseases. 

The  leaves  are  opposite  on  the  stem,  have  from  3 
to  5  lobes  ending  in  long  points  with  toothed  edges 
and  are  separated  by  deep  angular  sinuses  or  open- 
ings ;  they  are  pale  green  on  the  upper  surface  and 
silvery  white  underneath.  The  buds  are  rounded, 
red  or  reddish  brown,  blunt-pointed;  generally  like 
those  of  red  maple. 

The  flowers  appear  in  the  spring  before  the  leaves, 
in  dense  clusters,  and  are  of  a  greenish  yellow  color. 
The  fruit  ripens  in  late  spring.  It  consists  of  a  pair 
of  winged  seeds  or  "keys"  with  wings  1  to  2  inches 
long  on  slender,  flexible,  thread-like  stems  about  an 
inch  long. 

The  wood  is  soft,  weak,  even-textured,  rather  brit- 
tle, easily  worked,  and  decays  readily  when  exposed. 
It  is  occasionally  used  for  flooring,  furniture  and 
fuel. 

69 


-^• 


ASH-LEAF  MAPLE  (Box  Elder) 

{Acer  negundo  L.) 
TTHE  box  elder  is  a  fairly  rapid  growing  tree, 
found  commonly  throughout  the  northern  and 
middle  parts  of  the  State  growing  naturally  along 
stream  banks  and  in  cool  ravines.  It  is  a  tree  of 
medium  size,  rarel}^  reaching  over  24  inches  in  diame- 
ter and  60  to  70  feet  in  height.  It  has  been  consid- 
erably planted  for  shade  because  in  good   soil  its 

growth    is 
BOX  ELDER  rapid.     Its 

limbs  and 
b  r  anches, 
h  o  w  ever, 
are  very 
fragile, 
and  the 
tree  as  a 
whole  is 
subject  to 
disease.  It 
is  not 
long  -lived 
or  gener- 
ally satis- 
factory 

Twis.  two-tbirds  natural  size.       f    O    r     any 
Leaf,  one-third  natura  Isize.  p  u.  r  DOSe. 

It  is  pro- 
lific in  reproduction  but  is  largely  destroyed  by 
grazing  and  cultivation. 

The  bark  on  young  branches  is  smooth  and  green 
in  color;  on  old  trees  it  is  thin,  grayish  to  light 
brown  and  deeply  divided. 

The  leaves  are  compound,  with  usually  3  leaflets 
(rarely  5  or  7),  opposite,  smooth  and  lustrous, 
green,  and  borne  on  a  leaf  stem  or  petiole  2  to  3 
inches  long.  The  leaflets  are  2  to  4  inches  long  by 
1  to  2  inches  wide,  making  the  whole  leaf  5  to  8 
inches  in  length. 

The  seed  is  a  samara,  or  key,  winged  similarly  to 
that  of  a  sugar  maple,  but  smaller.  It  ripens  in 
late  summer  or  early  fall,  and  so  is  like  its  clo»e 
relatives,  the  red  maple  and  silver  maple. 

The  wood  is  soft,  light,  Aveak,  close-grained,  and 
decays  rapidly  in  contact  with  heat  and  moisture. 
It  is  used  occasionally  for  fuel. 


70 


!S:|>-^-e>- 


-e>-#^<x?:%>-*s 


YELLOW  BUCKEYE 

{Ai'scnlus  oclaiulra  Marsli.) 

■yUE  yellow  buckeye,  or  sweet  buckeye,  generally 
known  simply  as  buckeye,  flourishes  in  the  rich 
mountain  coves  of  the  southern  Appalachians,  where 
it  attains  a  height  of  90  feet  and  a  diameter  of  4 
feet.  It  extends  eastward  and  westward  from  the 
mountains  in  rich  bottoms  and  moist  uplands, 
chiefly,  however,  as  a  shrub. 


YELLOW   BUCKEYE 

Nut.  oiie-third  natural  size.  Twig,  three-quarters  natural  size. 

Leaf,  one-quarter  natural  size. 

The  bark  is  gray-brown  and  somewhat  smooth  but 
breaks  up  into  thin  irregular  scales. 

The  leaves,  unlike  those  of  any  other  of  our  tree 
.species  except  the  other  member  of  the  buckeye 
group,  are  divided  into  usually  5,  but  sometimes 
6  or  7  oblong,  pointed,  sharply  toothed  leaflets  4 
to  6  inches  long,  all  set  on  the  end  of  the  leaf  stems, 
which  are  about  as  long  as  the  leaflet.  The  leaves 
usually  fall  very  early  in  the  autumn  on  account 
of  the  attacks  of  a  disease  which  causes  large  brown 
spots. 

The  flowers  are  yellowish  (sometimes  purplish), 
in  large  clusters  opening  when  the  leaves  are  about 
half  grown.  The  fruit  is  smooth,  roundish,  rusty 
brown,  enclosing  one  or  two  rounded,  chestnut- 
brown,  shiny  seeds  called  buckeyes.  The  kernel 
is  "sweet"  enough  to  be  eaten  readily  by  hogs  and 
cattle. 

The  wood  is  eream-white,  light  aiul  soft  aiul  de- 
cays rapidly  when  exposed  to  the  weather.  It  is 
used  for  woodenware,  artificial  limbs,  an-^  for  paper 
pulp. 

71 


>-^^<j3^>.^  .&-m><^^' 


^>- 


LINDEN,  OR  BASSWOOD 


{Tilia  species) 
TTIE  lindens,  basswoods  or  lins,  are  a  group  of 
forest  trees  distinctive,  yet  as  a  group  so  simi- 
lar that  they  are  being  considered  together.  They 
grow  chiefly  in  the  mountains,  where  they  are  com- 
mon and  valuable  timber  trees,  attaining  heights 
of  80  feet  and  diameters  of  4  feet.  The  bark  is 
light  brown,  deeply  furrowed,  and  is  often  peeled 
for  making  rough  camp  buildings.  The  inner  bark 
furnishes  bast  for  making  mats. 

The  leaves 
are  more  or 
less  heart  - 
shaped,  3  to 
6  inches 
long,  thin, 
saw  -  tooth- 
ed, smooth 
on  both 
sides  in 
some  spe- 
cies, but 
w  o  o  1  y  on 
the  under 
surface  o  f 
others. 

The  flow- 
ers are  yel- 
1  0  w  i  s  h 
white,    in 

drooping  clusters  opening  in  early  summer,  and  the 
flower-stem  is  united  to  the  middle  of  a  long,  nar- 
row, leaf-like  bract.  They  are  very  fragrant  and 
from  them  the  bees  make  large  amounts  of  choice- 
grade  honey. 

The  fruit  is  a  berry-like,  dry,  1  or  2  seeded  and 
rounded  pod,  one-quarter  to  one-half  an  inch  in 
diameter,  covered  with  short,  thick  and  brownish 
wool.  It  remains  attached  in  clusters  to  the  leafy 
bract,  which  later  acts  as  a  wing  to  bear  it  away  on 
the  wind. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  tough,  not  durable,  light 
brown  in  color.  It  Ls  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
pulp,  woodenware,  furniture,  trunks,  excelsior  and 
many  other  articles. 

72 


LINDEN,  OR  BAf^iSWOOD 
Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 
Twig,  one-third  natural  size. 


<»t>-^-^ 


DOGWOOD 


{Cornus  florida  L.) 

•THE  dogwood,  sometimes  referred  to  in  books  as 
flowering  dogwood,  is  found  growing  throughout 
the  State,  usually  under  the  larger  forest  trees.  It 
is  a  small  tree,  usually  15  to  30  feet  high  and  6  to  12 
inches  in  diameter,  occasionally  larger,  with  a  rather 
flat  and  spreading  crown  and  short,  often  crooked 
trunk.     The  bark   is  reddish  brown   to  black   and 

broken  up  into  small 
4-sided  scaly  blocks. 
The  leaves  are  op- 
posite, ovate,  3  to  5 
inches  long,  2  to  3 
inches  wide,  pointed, 
entire  or  wavy  on 
the  margin,  bright 
green  above,  pale 
green  or  grayish 
beneath. 

The  flowers,  which 
unfold  from  the  con- 
spicuous, round, 
grayish,  winter  flow- 
er buds  before  the 
leaves  come  out, 
are  small,  greenish 
yellow,  arranged  in 
dense  heads  s  u  r- 
rounded  b  y  large 
white  or  rarely  pink- 
ish petal-like  bracts, 
which  give  th'e  ap- 
pearance of  large  spreading  flowers  2  to  4  inches 
across. 

The  fruit  is  a  bright  scarlet  "berry,"  one-half  an 
inch  long  and  containing  a  hard  nutlet  in  which  are 
1  or  2  seeds.  Usually  several  fruits,  or  "berries," 
are  contained  in  one  head.  They  are  relished  by 
birds,  squirrels  and  other  animals. 

The  wood  is  hard,  heavy,  strong,  very  close- 
grained,  brown  to  red  in  color.  It  is  in  great  de- 
mand for  cotton-mill  machinery,  turnery  handles 
and  forms.  One  other  tree  has  quite  similar  wood 
— the  persimmon. 

The  dogwood,  with  its  masses  of  early  spring  flow- 
ers, its  dark-red  autumn  foliage  and  its  bright-red 
berries,  is  probably  our  most  ornamental  native  tree. 
It  should  be  used  much  more  extensively  in  road- 
side and  ornamental  planting. 

73 


DOGWOOD 

Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 

Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


-e>  -m=-^^^  -e> 


Sir  nrREe,s 


^>-^ 


SOURWOOD 

{Oxydendron  arhorcum  DC.) 
'THE  sourwood  is  found  scattered  throughout  the 
State  on  both  rich  and  poor  soil,  but  is  least 
abundant  in  the  low  alluvial  parts  of  the  State.  It 
is  a  tree  of  small  dimensions,  8  to  12  inches  in  diame- 
ter and  30  to  40  feet  high,  rarely  larger. 

The  bark  is  thin,  light  gray  and  divided  into  nar- 
row shallow  ridges.  On  the  strong,  straight,  first- 
year  shoots  it  is  often  a  bright  red. 


SOURWOOD 

Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 

Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


The  leaves  are  from  2  to  5  inches  long,  simpie, 
alternate,  decidedly  acid  to  the  taste,  often  rough 
with  solitary  stiff  hairs.  They  are  a  lustrous  green 
on  the  upper  surface,  generally  turning  a  deep  crim- 
son in  the  fall. 

The  flowers  are  small,  white  or  cream-colored, 
borne  in  panicles  from  5  to  10  inches  long  on  the 
ends  of  the  twigs,  and  appear  in  late  summer.  They 
provide  storehouses  of  nectar  from  which  bees  make 
excellent  honey. 

The  fruit  is  a  conical,  dry  capsule,  one-third  to 
one-half  an  inch  in  length,  containing  numerous 
small  seeds.  These  capsules  hang  in  drooping  clus- 
ters sometimes  a  foot  in  length,  often  late  into  the 
fall. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  very  close-grained,  com- 
pact, brown  in  color,  sometimes  tinged  with  red.  It 
is  used  to  some  extent  for  turnery,  handles,  and  for 
some  other  uses. 

74 


-cjS^- 


BLACK  GUM 

{Nyssa  sylvatica  ^larsli.) 
•THE  black  gum,  often  called  sour  gum,  has  been 
cousidori'd  a  weed  in  the  forest.  Weed-like,  it 
finds  footing  in  many  types  of  soil  and  conditi«ns  of 
soil  moisture  throughout  the  State.  In  the  lowlands 
it  is  occasionally  found  in  year-round  swamps  with 
cypress,  and  in  the  hills  and  mountains  on  dry  slopes 
with  oaks  and  hickories. 


BLACK  GUM 
One-half  natural  size. 


^^ 


The  leaves  are  simple,  2  to  3  inches  long,  entire, 
often  broader  near  the  apex,  shiny,  and  dark  green 
in  color.  In  the  fall  the  leaves  turn  a  most  brilliant 
red. 

The  bark  on  younger  trees  is  furrowed  between 
flat  ridges,  and  gradually  develops  into  quadrangu- 
lar blocks  that  are  dense,  hard  and  nearly  black. 

The  greenish  flowers  on  long  slender  stems  ap- 
pear in  early  spring  when  the  leaves  are  about 
one-third  grown.  They  are  usually  of  two  kinds, 
the  male  in  many-flowered  heads  and  the  female 
in  two  to  several-flowered  clusters  on  different  trees. 
The  fruit  is  a  dark  blue,  fleshy  berry,  two-thirds  of 
an  inch  long,  containing  a  single  hard-shelled  seed, 
and  is  boi-ne  on  long  stems,  2  to  .3  in  a  cluster. 

The  wood  is  very  tough,  cross-grained,  not  dur- 
able in  contact  with  the  soil,  hard  to  work,  and 
warps  easily.  It  is  used  for  crate  and  basket 
veneers,  box  shooks.  rollers,  mallets,  rough  floors, 
mine  trams,  pulpwood.  and  fuel.  In  the  old  days, 
the  hollow  trunks  were  used  for  "bee  gums." 

75 


^-^%>. 


TUPELO  GUM  (Cotton  Gum) 

{Nyssa  aquatica  Marsh.) 

THE  tupelo  gum,  or  cotton  gum,  inhabits  only 
the  deep  river  swamps  or  coastal  swamps  which 
are  usually  inundated  during  a  part  of  the  year. 
The  commonly  enlarged  base,  large-sized  fruit,  or 
"plum,"  hanging  on  a  long  stem,  together  with  the 
brittleness  of  the  twigs,  serves  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  black  gum.  It  forms  a  tall,  often  slowly 
tapering,  somewhat  crooked 
trunk,  50  to  75  feet  in  height 
and  2  to  3  feet  in  diameter. 
The  spreading,  rather  small 
branches  form  a  narrow,  ob- 
long or  pyramidal  head. 
The  branches  are  generally 
smooth  and  light  brown  in 
color.  The  bark  of  the  trimk 
is  thin,  dark  brown,  and  fur- 
rowed up  and  down  the 
trunk. 

The  leaves  are  sim- 
ple, ovate  or  oblong 
in  shape,  acute  and 
often  long  -  pointed. 
When  mature,  they 
are  thick,  dark  green 
and  lustrous  on  the 
upper  side,  pale  and 
somewhat  downy  on 
the  lower  side,  5  to  7 
inches  long  and  2  to  4  inches  at  the  top,  wedge- 
shaped  at  the  base,  irregular  and  slightly  notched  or 
toothed  on  the  margin.     The  leaf-stem  is  stout,  1  to 

2  inches  long,  grooved  and  enlarged  at  the  base. 
The   flowers,   which   appear   in   March    or   April, 

are  of  two  kinds,  usually  borne  on  separate  trees, 
the  male  in  dense  round  clusters,  and  the  female 
solitary  on  long  slender  stems. 

The  fruit,  ripening  in  early  fall,  is  a  so-called 
"plum,"  oblong  or  obovate  in  shape,  about  an  inch 
long,  dark  purple,  and  has  a  thick,  tough  skin  en- 
closing a  flattened  stone,  borne  on  a  slender  stalk 

3  to  4  inches  long. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  and  not  strong.  It  is 
used  for  woodenware,  broom  handles,  fruit  and 
vegetable  packages.  As  lumber  it  is  marketed  as 
tupelo  or  bay  poplar.  The  root-wood  is  often  ex- 
tremely light  in  weight  and  is  sometimes  used  for 
floats  for  fish  nets. 


TTTPELO  GUM 
Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


76 


^<j5^j-.^  -e> 


PERSIMMON 

{Diospyros  virginiana  L.) 
THE  persimmon,  often  called  "simmon,"  is  well 
known  throughout  its  ranjje.  It  is  a  small  tree, 
rarely  exceedinf;  50  feet  in  height  and  18  inches  in 
diameter,  occurring  throughout  the  State,  except 
in  the  high  mountains.  It  seems  to  prefer  dry,  open 
situations,  and  is  most  abundant  in  old  fields, 
though  it  occurs  on  rich  bottomlands.    The  bark  of 

old  trees  is  almost 
black  and  sepa- 
rated into  thick 
nearly  square 
blocks,  much  like 
the  black  gum. 

The  leaves  are 
alternate,  oval, 
entire,  4  to  6 
inches  long,  dark 
green  and  shining 
above,  paler  be- 
neath. 

The  small  flow- 
ers, which  appear 
in  May,  are  yel- 
lowish or  cream- 
white,  somewhat 
bell-shaped,  the 
two  kinds  occur- 
ring on  separate 
trees ;  the  male  in 
solitary.     Thev 


PBRSrMMON 

Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 

Twig,  three-quarters  natural  size. 


are 


clusters  of  2  or  3,  the  female 
visited  by  many  insects. 

The  fruit  is  a  pulpy,  round,  orange-colored  or 
brown  berry,  an  inch  or  more  in  diameter  and  con- 
taining several  flattened,  hard,  smooth  seeds.  It  is 
strongly  astringent  while  green,  but  often  quite 
sweet  and  delicious  when  thoroughly  ripe.  It  is 
much  relished  by  children,  and  by  dogs,  'possums 
and  other  animals. 

The  wood  is  hard,  dense,  heavy,  strong,  the  heart- 
wood  brown  or  black,  the  wide  sapwood  white  or 
yellowi.sh.  It  is  particularly  valued  for  shuttles, 
golfstick  heads,  and  similar  special  uses,  but  is  not 
of  sufficient  commercial  use  to  warrant  its  general 
encouragement  as  a  timber  tree. 

77 


.  f^<-f^-^  -e>  -m^-^i^' 


-e> -#^<K?:|>- 


^>  -;?^'0S^-^  -e>  ■ 


SILVERBELL 

(Halesia  Carolina  L.) 

TTHIS  tree  occurs  in  its  best  development  in  the 
mountains  of  the  State  but  is  common  also 
through  the  Piedmont  section.  It  attains  a  height 
of  about  100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  30  inches  or 
more,  but  only  in  favorable  localities  does  it  grow 
large  enough  for  commercial  use.  It  is  commonly 
found  among  the  upper  watercourses.  It  is  occasion- 
ally planted,  as  it  makes  a  desirable  ornamental  tree. 


SILVTERiBELL 
Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 
Twig,  one-third  natural  size. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  opposite,  oval,  pointed,  thin, 
finely  toothed,  and  vary  in  length  from  4  to  6 
inches. 

The  bark  ranges  in  color  from  very  light  gray  in 
young  trees  to  a  very  dark  reddish  brown  in  old 
trees.  It  separates  into  scales  and  strips  as  the 
tree  grows  older. 

The  flowers  are  white  or  sometimes  tinged  with 
pink,  nearly  an  inch  long,  and  appear  in  early  spring 
with  the  unfolding  of  the  leaves.  The  pendant, 
bell-like  flowers  suggest  the  names  silverbell  and 
snowdrop  tree.  The  fruit  is  from  1  to  2  inches  long 
and  nearly  an  inch  wide,  with  a  corky,  four-winged 
covering.     The  solitary  seed  is  a  bony  stone. 

The  wood  is  soft,  light  cherry-colored  streaked 
with  white ;  the  sapwood  is  white  or  creamy.  Where 
large  enough,  it  is  cut  for  lumber  and  used  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  cherry. 

The  large  commercial  tree  is  by  some  considered 
a  separate  species,  Halesia  monticola  Sarg. 

78 


WHITE  ASH 

{Fraj:inus  amcricana  L.) 
THE  white  ash  is  common  in  the  northern  half  of 
tho  State  and  grows  to  best  advantage  in  the 
rich  moist  soils  of  mountain  coves  and  river  bottom- 
lands. It  reaches  an  average  height  of  50  to  80  feet 
and  a  diameter  of  2  to  3  feet,  though  much  larger 
trees  are  found  in  virgin  forest.  The  bark  varies  in 
color  from  a  light  gray  to  a  gray-brown.    The  rather 


WHITE  ASH 
Twig,   one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third   natural  size. 

narrow  ridges  are  separated  with  marked  regularity 
by  deep,  diamond-shaped  fissures. 

The  leaves  of  the  white  ash  are  from  8  to  12  inches 
long  and  iiave  from  5  to  9  plainly  stalked,  sharp- 
pointed  leaflets,  dark  green  and  smooth  above,  pale 
green  beneath.  The  ashes  form  the  only  group  of 
trees  in  eastern  America  that  have  opposite,  com- 
pound leaves  with  5  or  more  leaflets.  This  fact  in 
it.self  provides  a  ready  means  of  identifying  the 
group.  The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  different 
trees,  the  male  in  dense  reddish  purple  clusters  and 
the  female  in  more  open  bunches.  Tlie  fruit  of  the 
ash  is  winged,  1  to  \Y>  inches  long,  resembling  the 
blade  of  a  canoe  paddle  in  outline,  with  the  seed  at 
the  handle  end.  Tlie  fruits  mature  in  late  summer 
and  are  distributed  etTectively  by  tlie  winds. 

The  wood  of  the  white  ash  is  extremely  valuable 
on  account  of  its  toughness  and  elasticity.  It  is 
preferred  to  all  other  native  woods  for  small  tool 
handles,  such  athletic  implements  as  rackets,  bats 
and  oars,  and  agricultural  implements.  It  is  also 
used  extensivelv  for  furniture  and  interior  finish. 


-oH^-c^^j"-^  -e>-#^<j?^-^  ^>-^^<j^^  -^-^^-^j:^^  ^>- 

CATALPA 

{Catalpa  speciosa  Engelm.) 

THIS  species  of  catalpa,  knoMTi  also  as  Indian 
beam  or  Indian  cigar,  and  often  miscalled 
"catawba,"  is  native  to  the  central  Mississippi  River 
basin,  but  has  been  Avidely  planted  and  has  spread 
somewhat  farther  as  a  result  of  cultivation.  The 
catalpas  are  found  sparsely  throughout  the  State 
except  in  the  extreme  southern  section,  and  occur  on 
various  qualities  of  soil, 
but  most  frequently  on 
rich,  moist  soil,  such  as 
bottoms.  It  is  a  medium- 
sized  tree, 
usually  not  ex- 
ceeding 40  to  50 
feet  in  height 
and  12  to  15 
inches  in  diam- 
eter. The  trunk 
is  usually  short 
and  the  head 
broadwith 
spreading 
branches.  B  e- 
cause  of  its  at- 
tractive flowers 
and  conspicu- 
ous heart- 
shaped  leaves, 
it  is  consider- 
ably used  for 
shade  and  ornament. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  opposite,  oval,  long-pointed, 
6  to  10  inches  long,  and  heart-shaped  at  the  base. 
The  catalpa  Sphinx  moth  is  a  pest  and  sometimes  de- 
foliates the  tree. 

The  flowers  appear  in  clusters  or  panicles  in  May 
or  June.  They  are  white  with  purple  and  yellow 
markings,  and  this  makes  them  decidedly  showy  and 
attractive.  The  fruit  consists  of  a  bean-like  pod,  8 
to  16  inches  long  and  from  three-eighths  to  one-half 
inch  in  diameter.  It  hangs  on  the  tree  over  winter 
and  gradually  splits  into  2  parts,  or  halves.  The 
seeds  are  about  1  inch  long  and  terminate  in  wings 
that  are  rounded  and  short-fringed  at  the  ends. 
They  are  freely  carried  by  the  wind. 

The  wood  is  rather  soft,  light,  coarse-grained,  and 
durable  in  contact  with  the  soil.  It  is  used  for  fence 
posts,  poles  and  fuel,  and  occasionally  for  railroad 
ties. 

80 


CATALPA 
Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


Library 
N.  C,  State  Collf?"-* 


Make  Your  Woodland  Pay 

FAIJM  FORKSTJIV  HELPS  FAKMKIJS    IN: 

^Marketing  tiiiibei'  prnfital^ly, 
Siippl^iijg  timber  for  farm  lu'ods. 
Furnishing    i)ayiiig    (>m]»l(»yiiu'iit    dui-iiig    thi- 
winter. 

]\Iaking  waste  lands  yield  a  i)r()fit. 
Inei'easing  the  salt-  value  of  Hu-   fai-iu. 


FA  1 J  U  F( )  R  F  ST  J  J  V  .AI  {•]  A  X  S  : 

Iinproviiig  the  woods  by  I  hi;  I'iglit  kind  of 
cutting. 

Protecting  the  woods  fi'om  five  and  othci'  in- 
juries. 

Ftilizing  farm   tiinl)er  to  the  best  advantage 

Reclaiming  gullies  and  utilizing  waste  hinds 
by  j)lanting  forest  trees. 

Keeping  the  home  forest  growing  at  its  unix- 
imum  rate  of  production. 

Farm  forestry,  as  a  branch  of  agricultui-e,  is 
the  handling  of  forest  trees  and  woodlamls  in 
such  a  maniun*  as  to  increase  the  income  ami 
permanent  value  of  the  farm  and  add  to  its 
comfort  and  attractiveness  as  a   home. 


;  NATURE 
PROVIDES 


^Hfi^ 


Vrevent  Forest  Fires 
It  Pays 


..  '■*'-- 


FIRE 
CONSUMES 


K, 


HECKMAN 
BINDERY  INC. 


JUN85 

N.  MANCHESTER. 
INDIANA  46962 


